{"id":117006,"date":"2025-01-09T09:30:02","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T14:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=117006"},"modified":"2025-01-09T07:19:07","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T12:19:07","slug":"phoenix-suns-trade-drama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/09\/phoenix-suns-trade-drama\/","title":{"rendered":"The Nets and Rockets Love the Phoenix Suns Trade Drama"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Phoenix Suns are in the midst of a rough stretch, going 2-8 in their last 10 games. On top of that, the trade drama involving Jimmy Butler<\/a> and Bradley Beal<\/a> escalates with each passing day. The Brooklyn Nets and the Houston Rockets, however, love watching it from afar. As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.<\/p>\n

The Nets and Rockets Love the Phoenix Suns Trade Drama<\/h2>\n

The Nets and the Rockets control four of the next five Suns first round picks. As the season continues, and if the Phoenix Suns trade drama continues, both teams will be happy.<\/p>\n

The Suns are in a horrible situation<\/a> because they do not own their draft future<\/a> for the foreseeable future. As it stands right now, they are out of a play-in position, and will have a top 10 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Who gets that pick?<\/p>\n

Who Has More Suns Picks, Brooklyn or Houston?<\/h3>\n

The 2025 Phoenix Suns first round pick is one of the more complicated to explain, but here is how it works. OKC has the right to swap its 2025 1st round pick for Houston\u2019s 2025 1st round pick protected for selections 1-10 or the Clippers\u2019 2025 1st round pick. Houston then has the right to swap<\/a> its pick or the OKC pick to the Nets for the Suns\u2019 2025 first round pick.<\/p>\n

If the Houston pick falls within its protected range (unlikely at this point), then the Rockets\u2019 obligation to OKC will be extinguished and Houston will instead have the right to swap its pick to Brooklyn for the Phoenix pick. To put it simpler, the Rockets can get the Suns 2025 first-round pick, the Nets and the Thunder cannot.<\/p>\n

The Rockets also have the rights to the 2027 Suns first-round pick, without any protections. They will get the 2029 pick either from Dallas or Phoenix.<\/p>\n

The Nets, on the other hand, hold the rights<\/a> to the Suns\u2019 2028 first-round pick. They will get the two most favorable of the 2028 three picks, their own, the Suns, and the Philadelphia 76ers pick. The Sixers pick is protected 1-8.<\/p>\n

Putting Things in Perspective<\/h3>\n

Amidst all the Phoenix Suns trade drama, we might forget that Kevin Durant<\/a> is under contract for this season, and next one. Bradley Beal has a player-option for 2026-27 at $57 million. If he remains on the Suns<\/a> (very possible at this point), the team will lack cap space. Devin Booker<\/a> is signed until the 2027-28 season. The Suns have almost no way to get out of the second apron<\/a> this season and the next one. A Jimmy Butler trade<\/a> might help this year, but not in the long-term.<\/p>\n

In other words, when their 2028 and 2029 picks head to Brooklyn and Houston, they might have no star player on the roster and be among the worst teams in the league. It is a long play, but a small bet on the Rockets and Nets side.<\/p>\n

The Suns Do Not Value Draft Picks<\/h3>\n

After the 2023-24 season, Suns owner Mat Ishbia talked about future draft picks in his end-of-season press conference. Among the many things he said, he explained,<\/p>\n

\u201cIf fans like to look in the future and say, \u2018Hey, I really like that 2031 draft pick, because maybe that seventh-grader is gonna be really good and we\u2019re gonna draft them and one day he\u2019s gonna be a player\u2019. You ain\u2019t going to like the Phoenix Suns. Because we\u2019re gonna say draft picks are to get great players.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n