👋 GOOD MORNING

Happy Thursday! I think many of us were hoping sometime this week we would be celebrating a blockbuster trade between the Suns and the Heat, but that simply never materialized. Wednesday’s news that Butler was traded to the Warriors may have bummed more than a few people out, but it didn’t ruin the vibe at the WM Phoenix Open, as scores of fans took in the event’s annual Pro-Am while basking in our incredible February sun. The star-studded affair did not disappoint, highlighted by names like Corbin Burnes, Jonathan Gannon, Torey Lovullo, Merrill Kelly and of course, Larry Fitzgerald.

If you’re heading out to see any of the action this weekend the good news is it’s not supposed to rain! Have fun, be safe, and let’s not make national headlines like we did last year. 😅

On to the show!

Jimmy Butler Was Never The Answer for the Suns

The past month has yielded rumor-after-rumor about Jimmy Butler wanting to play in Phoenix.

It was never meant to be.

Butler is now on his way to Golden State, but to be fair, there were too many obstacles (see: salary cap and no-trade clauses) and too few trade partners to make it happen. Unless something changes dramatically prior to 1 pm today, the Suns will be heading into the regular season’s stretch run with essentially the roster they started the season with, plus Nick Richards.

Butler Was Never The Answer: I wrote about this a few weeks ago, in fact. Butler would have unquestionably made an impact in the desert, but the way he handled himself in Miami during this entire saga has been suspect. He appeared to be openly courting other teams — at least when he wasn’t suspended for poor conduct — and will leave a complicated legacy behind following a six-year stint in South Beach.

• Butler is a 6-time All-Star, but has never won a championship.
• He was suspended by the Heat three times this season.
• He refused to play off the bench, a stark contrast to Bradley Beal, who has provided a big boost in bench scoring.
• He’s averaging 17.0 points per game this season, vs. Beal’s 17.1

My Take: I think it’s pretty clear where I stand on it — I mean, cmon, was Butler really going to have so much of an impact that it turned the Suns from a .500 team into a championship contender? Hardly. Phoenix continues to adjust to coach Mike Budenholzer’s system, and the team has shown flashes of what it’s capable of. Any deal would have almost assuredly mortgaged the future, and with Devin Booker in the prime of his career, the team can still focus on reloading around him, as opposed to a from-the-ground-up rebuild.

Go More In-Depth: Our very own Gerald Bourguet ​highlighted a few trades​ — beyond Butler — that could still go down before today’s deadline.

Wildcats Eyeing Top Seed while March is Slipping Away From the Sun Devils

Arizona and Arizona State are on very different trajectories.

The Wildcats have won 12 of their last 13 games and are tied with Houston for the top spot in the Big 12, making a move to challenge for the conference’s regular season crown.

The Sun Devils, meanwhile, dropped another heartbreaker at home on Tuesday while losing seven of nine overall. They have more conference wins than just one other team: the 0-19 Colorado Buffaloes.

• Arizona hosts No. 5 Houston on Feb. 15, a potential battle of the two best Big 12 teams.
• ASU has just nine games left — four against ranked opponents — and will almost need to run the table to go dancing.

Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley

Dur-aint Going Anywhere: It sure looks like Kevin Durant will finish the season with the Suns. He reportedly rebuffed any interest from the Warriors, and unless Phoenix can return a king’s ransom for a 36-year-old that carries a cap hit of almost $55 million next season, it’s unlikely he’s going anywhere. We’ll know soon enough!

Defense for Myles: Could the Cardinals trade for prolific pass rusher Myles Garrett? It’s possible, but it won’t come cheap.

Seeing Signs: Arizona State and Arizona finalized their recruiting classes on Wednesday. The Sun Devils ranked 54th in the NCAA according to ​247Sports​, while the Wildcats came in slightly lower at 61st.

🧢 Tip of the Hat

If Myles Garrett ends up in Arizona, we can all thank Johnny. Make sure you catch our PHNX Cardinals team live from New Orleans all week!