Suns franchise Jusuf Nurkic, in talks for Butler for Beal trade


“We’re a long way from where we need to be.”

That’s coach Mike Budenholzer’s defining statistic of the Phoenix Suns, who fell to 14-14 after a 27-point loss to Denver Monday night. To get to where Phoenix needs to be is going to need more than getting healthy – although that would help – or a change in coaching, the Suns need a roster shake-up, especially to bring in more defense. With that, the team is testing the waters of a Jusuf Nurkic trade, and has had discussions about a Jimmy Butler trade centered around Bradley Beal, Duane Rankin reports of the Arizona Nation.

The Phoenix Suns are actively looking to trade starting center Jusuf Nurkic, league sources told The Arizona Republic. The Suns (14-14) are looking to make a big comeback, sources say…

As for Bradley Beal, sources told The Independent there are still talks about a deal with the Miami Heat involving Jimmy Butler.

Previous reports have said that the Suns have real interest in Butler’s trade, but any conversation about the trade has to start with a simple question: Does Bradley Beal want to be traded to Miami? Beal has a no-trade clause and, thanks to that, he can shoot any deal. Even if Beal is open to a trade, the next question will be, are the Heat willing to give up Butler – who has a player option for next season – for Beal, the youngest player with two years and $100.8 million guaranteed on his contract (the final year is a player’s option, it’s hard to imagine him changing this).

Beal has said that no one from Suns management has spoken to him about it

The Suns’ trade of Nurkic will likely be an attempt to improve the team’s 26th-ranked defense. However, many of the bigs on the market – such as the Wizards’ Jonas Valanciunas and the Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic – will help more on the offensive end than the defense.

It will be difficult for the Suns to put any trade together because the team has already passed the other side of the luxury tax – they cannot get back $1 more than they sent, nor can they combine two players in a trade just (it would have to be Nurkic or Beal straight up out, not paired with another player). The Suns also can’t throw any money into a deal. While a trade could be put together (Nurkic and a second-round pick for Valanciunas and Sadiq Bey work under the cap), finding one that satisfies both parties will be difficult.

However, the Suns knew they needed to do something.

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