The Phoenix Suns are taking the idea of being “all-in” to a new level.
On Wednesday, the Suns traded Josh Okogie and their remaining three second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Nick Richards and a 2025 second-round pick from the Denver Nuggets. This is now the only second-round pick they hold until 2031.
The Suns also do not control any first-round picks until 2031. They owe unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027, and 2029 to either the Houston Rockets or Brooklyn Nets.
They also gave up rights to swap first-round picks in 2026, 2028, and 2030 in trades for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
In the offseason, the Suns signed Okogie to a two-year, $16 million deal for this specific purpose.
Since they are well above the $188.9 million second apron, they can’t take back more salary than they send out in a trade, nor can they combine salaries to acquire someone with a bigger contract. Okogie was essentially an $8.25 million trade exception for the Suns.
Now that they have traded him, their situation has become even more challenging. If Richards doesn’t help them turn things around this season, they might soon face some serious questions about the future of their roster.
The Beal and Nurkić Issues
Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkić are the Suns’ biggest problems right now. Head coach Mike Budenholzer recently moved both to the bench after a tough 1-7 stretch. Nurkić has since been completely removed from the rotation.
Nurkić is averaging just 8.6 points per game on 45.4% shooting, both of which are his worst numbers in almost a decade.
He is earning $18.1 million this season and is under contract for $19.4 million next year. It’s hard to imagine any team offering anything significant for him in a trade.
The Suns might be in an even worse situation with Beal, who is making $50.2 million this year, $53.7 million next season, and has a $57.1 million player option for 2026-27.
Beal also has a no-trade clause, which means he can block any trade offers. His agent recently told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that they have had “no talks” about waiving it.
There seems to be some mutual interest between the Suns and disgruntled Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, but the Suns are unlikely to land him.
The Heat reportedly have no interest in taking back Beal, so Phoenix would need to find a third team willing to take him—and one that Beal would be willing to join. Considering the Suns’ lack of tradable draft picks, it’s unclear how they could make that work.
Nurkić might have more trade value as an expiring contract next season, especially if the Suns are willing to take on long-term salary in return. But with Beal’s age, injury history, and large contract, it seems the Suns might be stuck with him for the next few years.
So… What’s Next?
At 19-20, the Suns are tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the 11th-best record in the Western Conference.
They are half a game behind the Golden State Warriors for the final spot in the West’s play-in tournament. This isn’t what team owner Mat Ishbia likely had in mind when he put together one of the league’s most expensive rosters.
Richards might help the Suns find their rhythm again, but it’s hard to see them making a deep playoff run this year.
If they fail to win a playoff series for the second year in a row—or worse, miss the playoffs entirely—it could lead to bigger questions about the team’s future.
Durant, who is eligible for a two-year, $123.8 million extension this offseason, will turn 37 in October.
Ishbia told ESPN’s Shams Charania in November that he expects Durant to sign an extension this summer, but the Suns’ performance might cause Durant to consider his options.
As Michael Pina of The Ringer recently pointed out, the Suns might be better off trading Durant before he requests a move.
If they go down that path, they might also have to reconsider Devin Booker’s long-term future with the team.
Unless they get a huge return in draft picks or young players for Durant, they will have few assets left to improve their roster. They could have cap space again once Nurkić and Beal’s contracts expire, but it’s rare for stars to reach free agency these days.
The more the Suns try to salvage the Booker-Durant-Beal era, the deeper the hole they may have to dig themselves out of. The 2026 second-round pick they gave up for Richards will likely be in the 50s, but it’s uncertain where their 2031 picks will land.
These could have been useful assets to either build around Booker or start fresh after the Big Three era, but now they’re more depleted in picks than any other team in the league.
If the Suns can’t trade Beal or Nurkić for better pieces to support Booker and Durant, they could face a major roster dilemma sooner rather than later. The trade for Richards only made this reality clearer.
