👋 GOOD MORNING

Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 — Happy Tuesday! Another day has come and gone without any news on a Jimmy Butler trade, but as we all wait for any sort of news on that, it got me thinking: Does it really need to happen, especially if it costs the few remaining valuable assets Phoenix has remaining?

But I’ll get to that below, first off, I wanted to recognize Sun Devils hockey player Ryan Kirwan, who was named the NCHC’s Forward of the Week yesterday. It’s the second time he has earned the honor this season, and did so after recording five points in two games against Colorado College, a series ASU split.

Kirwan leads the Sun Devils in both goals (16) and points (26), and the former also leads the conference. Congrats, Ryan!

On to the show!

Butler Suspended Again as Trade Rumors Continue to Swirl

Do the Suns really need Jimmy Butler?

Yes, it’s a loaded question, but allow us to play devil’s advocate as rumors continue to swirl around the All-Star, who continues to make headlines even without an imminent move. Monday was no exception, as Butler was suspended (again) for at least five games, this time after ​walking out of Monday’s shoot around​ when he learned he was not in the starting lineup.

This time, though, the Heat hold most of the cards. Butler’s suspension, which is “indefinite” and without pay, technically takes him past the NBA’s Feb. 6 trade deadline. His future in Miami remains in doubt, but that also begs the question — do the Suns really need that attitude mixed in with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker?

Folks are clamoring for it, but a high-level peek at the numbers doesn’t paint much of a different picture with or without Butler.

Butler’s Arrival Would Assuredly Mean Beal’s Departure

Stating the obvious: If the Suns make a deal for Butler, Bradley Beal would have to go, just from a sheer financial perspective. We won’t even factor in that Beal can refuse any deal given his no-trade clause — only he and LeBron James have the ability to veto any deal this season. If the numbers align and Phoenix is able to get four or five teams to help make it work, how much more will the Suns really get?

A quick look at their 2024-2025 numbers (as of Jan. 27):

• Games: Butler 25, Beal 31
• Points Per Game: Butler 17.0, Beal 17.2
• Assists Per Game: Butler 4.8, Beal 3.3
• Rebounds Per Game: Butler 5.2, Beal 3.5
• Field Goals: Butler 54%, Beal 48.5%
• 3-Pointers: Butler 36.1%, Beal 38.6%
• Free Throws: Butler 80.1%, Beal 76.4%
• Win Shares: Butler 3.8, Beal 1.3

Butler and Beal share similar numbers virtually across the board, but if anything sticks out above, the biggest disparity rests among their respective win shares, an advanced metric that essentially assigns a portion of each victory to each player. For the sake of comparison, Kevin Durant has a win share of 3.1 this season and Devin Booker’s is 4.1, while Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the league this season with a win share of 9.8.

Short of points-per-game and 3-pointer percentage, the advantage goes to Butler, purely from a numbers perspective. Even so, the difference is not so striking that a deal for him feels like it has to happen.

Beal’s Attitude Off the Bench Has Been Encouraging

Suns coach Mike Budenholzer relegated Beal on Jan. 6, and the 31-year-old has played admirably off the bench, a stark contrast to how Butler has handled his situation in Miami. Beal is still playing a healthy dose of minutes — in his nine games off the bench he recorded 15+ points in four of them, giving a measure of depth that hadn’t appeared earlier this season.

Budenholzer has already shown he’s less concerned about stat lines and more concerned about building a winner, as evidenced by the (apparently) permanent benching of center Jusuf Nurkić. He has not appeared in a game since Jan. 7 and recently voiced his displeasure, but even he has gone about his business professionally compared to Butler’s behavior in Miami.

Which begs the question — what if he doesn’t get his way in The Valley? Will it permanently doom the team? Do the Suns need that type of distraction as any sort of meaningful championship window continues to shrink by the day? And, oh, by the way, Butler’s contract is up after next season. Will he re-sign? Would it even be worth it?

Seems like a lot of questions for a trade that would require mountains be moved.

Suns’ Trade For Richards Has Team Humming Again

Nick Richards has had an immediate impact since appearing in his first game on Jan. 18, and the Suns have gone 4-1 with him in the lineup. He has snagged 56 rebounds over those five games, helping Phoenix on glass when it matters most.

“We want him to be a presence on the offensive board, a presence in the paint. He is doing a good job finding his spots while he is still trying to learn everyone’s tendencies and plays,” Budenholzer said prior to Monday’s game against the Clippers. “He is playing off of instinct a lot and his instincts have been very good.”

The Richards deal was (understandably) much less heralded than anything that would involve Butler, but maybe that’s all Budenholzer needed to make the current pieces work. Remember, this is a team that started 9-2, and hit a dreadful skid during various periods when Durant, Booker, and/or Beal were all absent from the lineup (among others).

Make no mistake, Butler is a great player who would do great things with this iteration of the Suns. However, if Feb. 6 comes and goes with no swap in personnel, don’t fret.

The pieces Budenholzer needs to contend may very well be present, already.

Full PHNX Suns Coverage

🧢 TIP OF THE HAT BY BRANDED BILLS

Caleb. Love. Holy cow. What a win for the Wildcats over the No. 3 Cyclones.