A zero-player trade between the Suns and Jazz teases something bigger

Not a single player was traded when the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz swung a deal Tuesday, but the transaction sounded alarm bells around the NBA.

The deal, in which the Jazz sent three first-round draft picks to Phoenix in exchange for an unprotected first-rounder six years away, is clearly a precursor to something bigger. It's also a fascinating trade between two teams whose timelines could not be further apart.

Suns receive: 2025, 2027, 2029 first-round picks (All least favorable of CLE/MIN/UTA picks)
Jazz receive: 2031 first-rounder (unprotected, via PHX)

Suns prepping something big

Phoenix was just about out of bullets in its incredibly expensive quest to win a championship as soon as possible. After trading for former Charlotte Hornets big man Nick Richards last week, the Suns' draft equity consisted of a 2025 second-rounder and the 2031 first-rounder that now belongs to Utah (teams can't trade 2032 picks until after the 2025 draft). As a second-apron team that desperately needed more tradable assets, Phoenix prioritized quantity over quality. The Suns don't control any of their own picks until 2032, but they've tripled the number of first-rounders at their disposal.

The elephant in the room is Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, who just hooped in Suns-colored sneakers. Any potential Butler trade would likely involve at least three teams and many moving parts. Phoenix is now better equipped to take part in such a blockbuster. In addition, whether acquiring Butler or another veteran star, the Suns will almost surely have to move Bradley Beal. By increasing their total number of picks - and therefore increasing the number of teams they can satisfy - the Suns are also better positioned to sweeten the pot for any club taking on the final two years, $110.8 million, and no-trade clause still owed to Beal.

One way or another, the Suns are going to use their new picks to do something big. That means by the time the trade deadline arrives in a couple of weeks, Phoenix could be an aging, play-in bound squad without a draft pick of any kind for the next seven years. Would it be more prudent to explore trading Kevin Durant, recouping draft capital, and trying to salvage some of Devin Booker's future? Yes. But that wouldn't be as fun as the Suns continuing to rewrite the meaning of all-in.

Jazz take the long view

Phoenix's window of contention might be closing fast, but Utah's isn't even visible yet.

The Jazz already owned one of the league's most significant draft-pick hauls and aren't exactly looking to compete in the near future, so taking the opposite approach of Phoenix makes sense: turning some of that quantity into more quality, or at least a pick with a higher ceiling. Who knows what the Suns or the NBA will look like six years from now? But an unprotected pick in the distant future always trumps three swap-right picks that give two other teams first choice, especially when that unprotected pick belongs to a team so hell-bent on completing shortsighted maneuvers.

Jazz owner Ryan Smith and Suns owner Mat Ishbia bought their teams only a couple of years apart (December 2020 and December 2022), but their strategies for success could not be more different. Smith threw in the towel on a relatively successful but ultimately fruitless era headlined by Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, trading both in 2022 for boatloads of picks rather than doubling down on a flawed fringe contender. The Jazz have since punted on the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons despite both teams being surprisingly feisty. Utah then ensured it was built to properly execute a full-season tank this year, with Cooper Flagg headlining a deep 2025 draft class that boasts multiple projected franchise-changers.

If the lottery balls don't bounce their way come the spring, the Jazz could very well be prepared to chase prospects instead of wins again next season. However, their treasure trove of picks also gives them the chance to expedite their rebuild by trading for an All-Star (or two) in the event a Flagg-like talent lands in their laps. The Jazz are flexible in ways teams can be when seasons aren't measured in wins and losses.

Of course, just like Ishbia's relentless and often reckless pursuit of instant gratification, Smith's grand plan for the future comes with no guarantees. Having said that, what the Jazz (and other pick-obsessed tankers) are trying to avoid is exactly what the Suns have become; a fading play-in team chasing its tail.

Joseph Casciaro is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.