With the NBA's trade deadline now one week away, it looks increasingly likely that Jimmy Butler won't be coming through that door to save the Phoenix Suns and their season. Not that he necessarily even needs to, the recent loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves aside this group has been playing better as of late.
If Butler isn't going to The Valley - which would also mean that Bradley Beal isn't heading out of Phoenix - then you would think that is where the trade rumors stop for the Suns. You would be wrong though, as armed with three future first round picks they could yet be players in dumping a player they no longer use.
That would be Jusuf Nurkic, with trade talks rumored to have happened.
The potential partner in all of this? The Atlanta Hawks, at least that's according to the always reputable - and well worth a follow if you're all about Suns basketball - Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. He claims that the Suns have been shopping Nurkic for the last few weeks - clearly to little joy - and that the Hawks were one such organization they spoke with.
It is not even clear what the Suns could or would get back for effectively dumping the Bosnian big man - although Bogdan Bogdanovic works from a financial perspective - but this now makes the previous first round pick trade they did with the Utah Jazz make a lot more sense. Many thought this was a precursor - and a badly attempted one - at turing one pick into three to get Butler.
Arizona Republic says Suns, Hawks have talked about Jusuf Nurkic trade, Marc Stein says Suns are interested in Bogdan Bogdanovic... Pistons are buyers, 12th in ORB, consolidate their 2nds for a 1st and trade for a rental in Clint Capela for consistency during their playoff push. pic.twitter.com/ogk2qjS2l1
— Cyro Asseo (@CyroAsseo) January 30, 2025
But what looks more likely at this moment is that the Suns obviously couldn't give up their single remaining first round pick in 2031 - which is among the most valuable trade assets in the league - and so turned it into three picks hoping to use only one to move on from Nurkic. This would give them two extra picks to use in future trades, which is exactly what the franchise needs right now.
They've been sorely lacking in flexibility since trading for Beal and finding themselves stuck in the second apron, and moving on from Nurkic and having extra firsts for down the road is a genuine way out of that problem. Owner Mat Ishbia will clearly do whatever it takes to try and win, and it is clear Nurkic was only bringing this group down.
But what's in it for the Hawks? Bogdanovic is 32-years-old and has struggled with injuries this season, and has two years remaining on his current deal after this one. Contrast that with Nurkic, who will be an expiring contract next season. To get off Bogdanovic and get a first round pick for their troubles - while also not being contenders in the Eastern Conference - sounds like a smart move for them.
There's another underrated reason for the Suns to also pursue this more seriously beyond just getting rid of Nurkic, and that is that Bogdanovic would make one of Royce O'Neale or Grayson Allen expendable. All three have similar enough games, and as of this moment Allen would be the odd one out. Trading him for another player that could help is an interesting twist to these rumors.