NBA Trade: Phoenix Suns Swap Draft Picks with Jazz

The Suns made a deal with Utah on Tuesday night.

Jan 16, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) takes a free throw during the third quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

On Tuesday night, the Phoenix Suns made a deal with the Utah Jazz that should eventually branch into plenty more.

Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Phoenix is trading its 2031 unprotected first to the Utah Jazz in exchanges for three first round picks: the least favorable of the Cavaliers and Timberwolves in 2025, as well as the least favorable of Timberwolves Cavaliers and Jazz in 2027 and 2029.

The Phoenix Suns are trading their 2031 unprotected first to the Utah Jazz for three first-round picks, sources tell ESPN. The Suns are acquiring the least favorable firsts in 2025 of Cleveland/Minnesota, 2027 of Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah and 2029 of Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 22, 2025

The deal is centered around making more future selections available for the Suns in order to make deals with its current win-now core, as well as giving one of the more coveted picks in the entire league to the Jazz.

Phoenix has long been reportedly seeking Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler on the trade market in a theoretical deal centered around Bradley Beal, but it hasn’t quite had the firepower to do so. Tripling its draft cache could get the deal across the line, or just give the franchise more flexibility in general to upgrade its roster.

On Utah’s end, it offloads three low-value firsts, and gains what is likely to be one of the more valuable future picks in the NBA. The Suns are an aging, top-heavy roster as it stands now, and completely devoid of future assets, aside from those gained Tuesday. Once it front loads its roster even more in the near future, its longterm roster is sure to be left bare, even if its able to trade off stars in Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, at some point.

The Jazz will likely be banking on that 2031 pick turning into a project in the top-five.

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