The Suns were left blindsided after Jimmy Butler—the man they’ve been targeting for much of 2025—was shipped to the Golden State Warriors as the 2025 trade deadline inched closer. It’s clear that Phoenix’s Big Three isn’t working, so they find themselves in a situation where they fail to ship off Bradley Beal and acquire immediate help.
There’s little to no chance for Mat Ishbia’s team to find any meaningful last-minute deals as most of the players they could target are already off to other teams. Mike Budenholzer has a problem in his hands as he tries to push a team that was almost split up to focus on making a run for the Finals.
They still have a shot at making a postseason run as long as they have Kevin Durant and Devin Booker on the roster, but analysts who followed the Butler saga emphasized one thing the team must zero in on if they want to win.
Analysts think the Suns will have to nurse bruised egos as a trade becomes impossible
ESPN’s NBA insiders published a piece that dissected the Jimmy Butler trade and what it means for the parties involved. The questions they addressed for the Warriors and Heat were tough, and the Suns faced a similarly difficult question.
What are they supposed to do after being left hanging by the Heat? The analysts were united in their answer: focus on the present and move on from the what if’s.
Chris Herring suggested remaining open to trading Kevin Durant for a potential suitor. He said that the current core isn’t clearly working, and retooling the squad with the assets from a Durant trade would do wonders for the squad’s chances in the postseason. Jamal Collier seconded his idea.
Tim McMahon thinks that it’s time to nurse the egos hurt by Phoenix’s wild goose chase for Butler. It won’t instantly make the team better, but entering the postseason with a more unified front would be better than nothing.
Baxter Holmes is in the middle ground: he thinks it’s okay to make some late-night calls to explore trade possibilities, but they shouldn’t rush themselves into making terrible roster changes if it doesn’t make sense for their bottom line.
The Suns are still a solid basketball team full of talented athletes even if they’re out of sorts. Taking things one step at a time would help everyone in the organization breathe and find the happy medium that would keep them competitive out west.
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