The Suns turned one first-round draft pick into three from the Jazz. Are they stockpiling assets to upgrade their roster around Devin Booker and Kevin Durant?
The Phoenix Suns have turned one first-round draft pick into three.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Suns have agreed to trade their 2031 first-round pick to the Utah Jazz in exchange for conditional first-round picks in the 2025, 2027 and 2029 drafts.
The collection of new picks gives the Suns more tradable assets as the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaches. Phoenix is believed to be active in the trade market as it looks to capitalize on the primes of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and upgrade its roster amid a 21-21 start. The Suns are reportedly interested in Jimmy Butler, who has requested a trade from the Miami Heat.
Thanks to the trades of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the Jazz have multiple picks in each of the 2025, 2027 and 2029 drafts. The Suns will receive the lowest of those picks in each year of the deal. In the 2025 draft, the Suns will receive the worst pick available of selections that initially belonged to the Timberwolves and Cavaliers.
In 2027 and 2029, the Suns will receive the worst available pick of those awarded to the Jazz, Timberwolves and Cavaliers. For the 2025 draft, that means that the Suns project to receive one of the last picks in the first round. At 36-6, the Cavaliers have the best record in the NBA.
Projecting out to 2027 and 2029 is more difficult, of course. But the Jazz apparently felt comfortable enough in the value of Phoenix’s 2031 pick to part with three of their own as they hold a stockpile of picks in upcoming drafts.
After Tuesday’s trade, the Jazz now have 11 first-round picks in the next seven years. The 2031 pick they received from the Suns is unprotected.
