Finally, someone said it! The Phoenix Suns going after Jimmy Butler amidst his standoff with the Miami Heat is a terrible idea—almost as terrible as throwing in three star shooting guards in your team in the fever dream of a fantastic Championship run.
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“There’s a tragic irony in the Phoenix Suns’ belief that Jimmy Butler can solve all their problems,” The Ringer’s Michael Pina wrote recently. Not only did he dismiss any hopes of an upgrade for the Suns with a potential trade for Butler, but the veteran NBA writer took it a step further and claimed that the franchise should get rid of Kevin Durant as well.
Now this seems like just another outlandish hot take intended to garner attention. But Pina has his reasons to justify it. The veteran NBA analyst provided a harsh reality check to Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia, that his team has the least number of homegrown players in the league, which could be a major reason behind their mediocrity. Only Devin Booker, Ryan Dunn, and Osho Ighodaro are players Phoenix drafted.
Pina thinks the formula to achieve success in the NBA has changed in recent times.
“But I also know that the Suns are trapped by their owner’s commitment to misunderstanding an NBA ecosystem that doesn’t function how he thinks it does. The days of giving a maximum contract to three players are over. Depth is king. Financial flexibility, internal development, and the draft are what matter,” he added.
This theory makes sense if you take into account the success of the Boston Celtics. Brad Stevens always prioritized filling out all the missing pieces to complete the puzzle of a well-rounded team, instead of running after big names and their much bigger contracts. Phoenix did the opposite.
They created a ‘Superteam’ in the same vein as the Miami Heat of the early 2010s, that was supposed to win everything right from their inaugural season. But midway into the 2024-25 season, they are 10th in the Western Conference, barely afloat with .500 record. That’s not how a team with an annual payroll exceeding the salary cap by almost $78 million is supposed to play.
Yes, injuries have played a part in the Suns’ downfall. But their side is also riddled with deeper flaws and mismatches. A near $50 million/year bandage in the form of Jimmy Butler can only momentarily stop the Suns’ bleeding. It’s not a long-tern fix, but rather making the same problem even worse.
KD is averaging All-NBA numbers this season, 27.1 points 6.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, on 51.9% shooting from the floor. But it’s no secret that he can’t be the leader that the Suns rely on for a Championship. They need a superstar leader to soak in all the pressure, which will allow KD to operate freely as just a lethal weapon meant to cause indiscriminate destruction.
But Devin Booker has shown that he is not that leader. It’s difficult to imagine Butler filling that role as well. So Phoenix has to make some tough decisions if they still want to retain their Championship aspirations. Otherwise, they can just let this season play out and then blow the team up a year later.
