Is a former Phoenix Suns player coming home and is a current Valley villain on the move?

It’s subterfuge season and it’s time to talk about Phoenix Suns trade rumors, and there are a lot of them coming from all over the internet. 

The biggest one right now is the fact that if you were holding out hope the Phoenix Suns were about to light the fuse and blow it all up, you can stop because Ramona Shelburne and Bobby Marks on ESPN.com Thursday said the Suns have rebuffed any call involving Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. 

So resetting everything and starting from scratch isn’t on the table for the Suns, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Mat Ishbia has proven, the franchise is committed to trying to win at all costs. And right now, I think it’s the right approach. 

Could Phoenix Suns Trade Bradley Beal?

But what can be done before the trade deadline to help fix the situation the Suns find themselves in? They need to move on from Bradley Beal. It’s that simple and yet easier said than done. That said, it’s the first thing that you need to be looking at to figure out what holes you could patch as part of a move. 

Phoenix can’t afford to keep Beal and have any hope that you can turn around this season.

They have to patch the holes, see what they can do in the playoffs, and at the end of the season, if you don’t see some light at the end of the tunnel with the moves made, then they have to consider blowing it up in the offseason. 

What moves could the Suns consider though? There’s plenty of rumors to help answer that question.

Phoenix Suns Trying To Trade Jusuf Nurkic

Duane Rankin of AZCentral Sports reported Thursday the Suns and Atlanta Hawks have discussed a potential move of one Jusuf Nurkic. 

Now, there was some question and speculation as to who that might be for. 

Reports from Brett Siegel of ClutchPoint says that that person may be Bogdan Bogdanovic of the Hawks. 

Yes, that Bogdan Bogdanovich that the Suns drafted during Ryan McDonough’s tenure. 

The sharpshooter has a salary that matches with Jusuf Nurkic’s but would likely cost one of the first round picks Phoenix acquired from the Utah Jazz. At this point Jusuf Nurkic has tanked any trade value he had by being a complete and utter malcontent and taking it public. 

Before this, his play and his $18 million price tag made it very difficult to move him, but coming out publicly made it even harder. 

So if you could get Bogdan Bogdanovich, a guy who’s a career 38% 3 point shooter, it’s probably one of the best case scenarios, but does it make sense? 

Roster wise, not right now. 

Unless you’re moving on from Bradley Beal or Grayson Allen, you’re just getting another 65 guy that can shoot, and that’s not going to fix the son’s problems. 

And that’s likely why sources told PHNX’s Gerald Bourguet that the Suns aren’t interested in Bogdanovic in a potential deal.

Regardless of what you might be able to get for Nurkic, you’re still going to have multiple concerns you’ll need to address. 

Suns Have Issues To Address Via Trade

Despite trading for Nick Richards from the Charlotte Hornets earlier in January you still have a need to add depth at the center position. That’s because Mason Plumlee has proven at this advanced stage of his career, he can’t be a backup and Oso Ighodaro has proven at this early stage of his career, he’s not ready to take on those minutes full time. 

But how do you fill that hole? That’s a question for another deal because no rumors have materialized yet on that front. 

One of the other things the Suns will need to find is a guy with edge that’ll come in and help wake up the team when they sleepwalk through certain parts of games, which they’ve become prone to doing this season and did the other night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Second half collapses and 3rd quarters that are embarrassing can’t happen if Phoenix wants to have their championship dreams become reality. They need a player that’s going to have an edge and will hold teammates accountable on the court and in the huddle. 

Jimmy Butler Still on Suns Radar

Now, you may not like it, but Jimmy Butler could be that guy for the Suns. 

And reports early Thursday from Bobby Marks said the Suns and Miami Heat are still trying to figure out a framework that could involve a 3rd or 4th team to make the deal a reality. 

It appears the two sides are trying to figure out how to make the long talked about trade work. One of the potential road blocks in the negotiations is Bradley Beal’s no trade clause and Miami’s rumored refusal of taking back the guard as part of any deal.

 So the subterfuge season is in full force right now. 

There are rumors everywhere and they’re coming from every angle. So what will the Suns do? 

It’s unclear but the one thing we know is they can’t afford to stand pat, because that will completely derail the rest of the season and overcomplicate the offseason. The next three months should about evaluating if the talent you bring in has helped right the shit and, if not, what needs to change moving forward.