Since Jimmy Butler’s trade request, there have been speculations about him joining the Suns. But the move is not easy to pull off because of multiple reasons. Obviously, the biggest one is Pat Riley’s reported disinterest in Bradley Beal, because of the injury-prone superstar’s massive contract. And the Phoenix franchise is also trying to work its way around major second apron restrictions… Amid the concerns, they might just have taken the first major step that gets them closer to acquiring Butler.

As per veteran insider Shams Charania, the Suns are trading their 2031 unprotected first to the Jazz. And they get three first-round picks in return. That includes the least favorable firsts in this year’s Cleveland/Minnesota, along with 2027 and 2029’s Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah. Of course, this is a highly aggressive move by the franchise as it unlocks their six upcoming drafts and also breaks up their singular pick into three recent ones.

In short, Shams summarized, “The Suns now have tripled their first-rounders.” Most likely, this was Mat Ishbia’s way of creating more assets to facilitate a potential three-team trade involving Butler. What do the fans say?

NBA World recognizes Suns’ “win now” move, but Bradley Beal might not join the Heat

Even the NBA World believes this latest move is part of the larger JB plan, as Shams’ report was bombarded with comments like “making moves for Jimmy” and “they want Jimmy Butler BADLY.”

Well, Jimmy is owed $48.7 million in salary this season and the Suns need to make room for his massive contract while working under tax restrictions. And while Beal to Miami did not seem like a possibility, they could use these newly acquired picks from Utah to leverage the deal with Pat Riley or involve a new third team in the trade. Meanwhile, the trade gives a major boost to Jazz’s rebuilding project as they now have eleven first-round picks in the next seven years! A win-win situation for everyone.

As expected, netizens have begun predicting new scenarios, now that the Suns have more draft picks on offer. One wrote, “Beal and picks to Miami for Jimmy Butler.”

Although this sounds ideal for the Phoenix franchise, Bradley still holds the cards to decide his future because of his rare no-trade clause. And Riley might not want him, even with the added draft assets. However, these draft picks can bring in a third team like the Bucks, who have shown interest in Beal in the past.

Yes, Beal could waive his clause for the Bucks because they are title contenders, and joining them aligns with his goal of pursuing the championship. Moreover, the three-team trade could also make the Heat happy as they will probably get multiple assets from Milwaukee, maybe Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis, both former champions!

However, trading their unprotected pick has made one thing certain- the Suns are going all-in while they still have Kevin Durant and Devin Booker on the roster, as fans pointed out “Whoa. Pure win now move for Suns” and “Suns got fleeced and just showed everyone how desperate they are.”

Yes, this might be a desperate move by them hoping to add Jimmy Butler because of how complicated his situation is in Miami. But when has Mat Ishbia not followed his ‘all in or nothing’ belief? Do you think this spicy gamble gets the Suns what they want?