Will the Suns trade to save? ESPN’s Marks provides pair of salary-1st deals

Since Mat Ishbia took on ownership of the Phoenix Suns, he’s been apt to spend. Setting aside the not-very-memorable releases of Nassir Little and E.J. Liddell last offseason, cap-saving moves haven’t happened in the Valley too often.

Trading for Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler presumably comes with a contract extension to follow, and that obviously does not bucket into the “saving money” category, either.

But if the Suns don’t land Butler as reportedly desired, could they swing deals that land somewhere in the zip code of sustainability?

ESPN’s Bobby Marks has two ideas that would give Phoenix a bit more flexibility moving forward.

Two trades that work

1) Phoenix receives:
P.J. Tucker
Bones Hyland

LA Clippers receive:
Jusuf Nurkic
2027 least favorable first of Cleveland, Minnesota, Utah

2) Phoenix receives:
Gary Harris
Cory Joseph
2025 first from Denver (if 6-30)

Orlando receives:
Grayson Allen
Monte Morris

Of course, Marks is wearing his own front-office executive cap in suggesting those moves. All of those players’ incoming salaries are either ending after 2024-25, come with team options or, in the case of Hyland, lead to restricted free agency.

The big picture is this: The two trades get the Suns under the first and second tax aprons. The second gives the Suns a first-round pick to use or trade this summer.

Among other things, getting under the second apron opens the door for the Suns to deal their 2032 first-round pick starting in June, unlocks the ability to aggregate salaries in trades and gives Phoenix potential access to a reduced $5 million midlevel exception (opposed to none at all).

Most importantly, combining these trades saves more than $200 million in salary and taxes next year, by Marks’ number-crunching.

With the Clippers-Suns prong of these proposed deals, Phoenix gets off Nurkic’s contract that pays out $19.4 million next season and returns a jumbo wing in Tucker, who has familiarity with Phoenix and Devin Booker. Hyland would give the Suns a wild card microwave scorer who might land on the opposite end of the point guard spectrum compared to pass-first starter Tyus Jones.

Marks’ second proposed trade seemingly sacrifices Allen’s and Morris’ productivity for two less-utilized players who are likely out of the rotation. Phoenix gets a draft pick that they sorely need that could help next year or in a trade.

Maybe Very, very likely, the Ishbia-led team won’t even consider operating like Marks. But in this exercise, it’s fair to wonder if we see the Suns finally shift that direction just a little bit if a Butler blockbuster isn’t in the cards.

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