The Phoenix Suns have already been active ahead of the trade deadline, and they might not be done yet. Adding Nick Richards for Josh Okogie and some second round draft picks already looks like the right choice - he has started life brightly in The Valley - while the follow-up deal with the Utah Jazz caught everybody by surprise.
The Suns sending out their 2031 first round pick - with zero protections - to the Jazz for their firsts in 2025, 2027 and 2029. Many believed that this trade was setting up a larger one in which the Suns finally got their man in Jimmy Butler, but that has yet to come together. Bradley Beal's no-trade clause doesn't help matters either.
There could soon be another use for one of those picks.
That's because on a recent episode of The Bill Simmons podcast, the self-confessed "Picasso of the Trade Machine" had former colleague at The Ringer Kevin O'Connor on to discuss all manner of fake trades. Some were entertaining, others appeared to flat out ignore the second apron and the ability of certain franchises to make deals, and then there was the Suns.
Although Butler chattered came up on the podcast - as part of some outlandish deals - it was instead center Jusuf Nurkic who interested the duo. In particular using one of the first round picks they recently acquired to pair with the Bosnian and send him packing. Given he doesn't look like he'll play for the organization ever again, this mock trade from the pair makes a lot of sense.
The only snag on the above - which the Suns would surely be interested in - is that the Portland Trail Blazers would have to cut some more salary to take on Nurkic's deal. Interestingly if they also sent Duop Reath to the Suns - which would cost them at the least their remaining second round pick received from the Richards deal - the trade would work.
Taking Reath out of the equation for now - both because he wasn't mentioned and the Suns would love to have him - and this is still a trade worth exploring. The Suns would get a better big in Robert Williams III, although his injury history is troubling. When you contrast that with the fact Nurkic won't be playing for the team anymore, then this makes this an even bigger win.
It is better to have the possibility of Williams III playing even 30 games a season who is an upgrade over Nurkic, versus forcing Nurkic to sit for the remainder of this season. For the Trail Blazers the only hope is that they know what they're getting in Nurkic, having sent him to Phoenix in exchange for Deandre Ayton in the past.
Jimmy Butler was doing his bit after the #Suns made an unexpected trade with the Jazz (✍🏻 @LucaLockheart)https://t.co/RXIInyq4BM
— Valley of the Suns (@ValleyoftheSuns) January 22, 2025
They would still get to keep Ayton - for whatever that is worth at this point - while playing Nurkic isn't going to help them win any more games. Right now it is about developing their young players though so using Nurkic actually makes sense, while that additional first in one of 2025, 2027 or 2029 would be a nice sweetener.
This is a mock trade that the Suns should urgently be looking at trying to make happen, as the Trail Blazers might be the only team in the league who would take Nurkic back. They turned their 2031 first into three picks for a reason, while adding the potential of what Williams III could be is better than what they know Nurkic already is. Another chance for James Jones to show how good he is.