A fatal mistake the Suns must fix at the 2025 NBA trade deadline

The Phoenix Suns they are currently in the second year of experimenting with the big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. By now, the team realized that the team was not the best fit. in fact Mike Budenholzer had already gotten Bill off the bench.

While the Suns have an intimidating powerhouse with no shortage of star power, the team faces an issue with their frontcourt depth, a fatal flaw that needs to be addressed. Jusuf Nurkic failed and the team lacks a reliable rim protector to prevent opponents from punishing them on the interior. With the trade deadline upon us, the Suns need to hold off on finding a solid replacement.

Let’s not forget, though, that while the trade deadline gives teams a chance to tweak their rosters, the Suns don’t have a lot of assets to move. Although the Suns are strong candidates to land a disgruntled Jimmy Butler, realistically, only Grayson Allen and Nurkic are mobile.

Bringing in Beal is a long shot, especially with his no-trade clause that could only be waived by the All-Star’s personal point guard. With the Butler trade seeming like a pipe dream, Phoenix must use the trade deadline to focus on adding depth at the center position.

Jusuf Nurkic’s disappointing season

While it’s clear that the trio of Durant, Booker and Beal isn’t working, it also doesn’t help that their supposed starting center isn’t playing up to par. Nurkic did not play as a starting center, averaging only 8.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. His scoring is the lowest since his sophomore season. Moreover, Nurkic is only shooting an ineffective 45.5% from the field overall and 69.6% from the free throw line.

The Bosnian beast usually makes his presence felt with his size and ability to get rebounds. However, that just isn’t the story for the Suns this year. In fact, he has failed to play the role of a player tasked with containing opposing elite big men and protecting the rim. Without a reliable anchor, it’s easy to see why opposing teams have taken advantage. The Suns are actually giving up 48.1 points in the paint, which ranks 16th in the NBA.

The Suns don’t really have much in the way of trade assets since getting their Big Three together. But with Nurkic down this season, that makes him a trade asset the team can use. It’s not a great situation in Phoenix, but the franchise has to do everything it can if it hopes to save this super team.

Not enough impact backup big men

Given that Nurkic has not been the same this year, it is easy to understand why Budenholzer was looking for a possible replacement on his bench. Unfortunately, none of the big men stepped up much. Mason Plumlee was a reasonable first choice to take Nurkic’s starting spot, given that he has plenty of experience behind him. However, even the 12-year NBA veteran could muster only six points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 blocks.

On the other hand, it’s pretty much the same story for Bol Bol, who couldn’t get playing time even for the one who needs reinforcements in the frontcourt. The big South Sudanese football player appeared in only eight games this year, scoring 3.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.

The only bright spot in the Suns’ frontcourt was rookie Oso Ighodaro. In limited minutes, the 6-foot-10 forward is averaging 3.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. While he’s showing signs of promise, asking him to solve the Suns’ interior problems is too much to ask of a 22-year-old rookie still in the league.

Potential trade with the Detroit Pistons to bolster the frontcourt

Suns get: Isaiah Stewart ($15 million)

Pistons receive: Jusuf Nurkic ($18.1 million)

To address the Suns’ need for a center, the team can enter into a deal with the Detroit Pistons to acquire former NBA All-Rookie Isaiah Stewart. Despite being only 6 feet tall, Stewart has shown that he is capable of pounding the bodies of the best big men in the world. In fact, he is versatile enough to switch from four to five positions. In the current 2024-25 season, Stewart is averaging 5.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 52.4% from the field.

With Stewart’s skill set, the Suns can have a defensive-minded big man who can disrupt lob passes and block some shots. This allows the team to address their rim protection issues. Offensively, he’s also not shy about playing on the perimeter, where his versatility could come in handy. And as a bonus, Stewart is only 23 years old, making him a valuable roster member for continuity purposes. In fact, a pairing with Ighodar should give Suns fans something to be excited about when the franchise eventually decides to hit the reset button.

On the other hand, the Pistons are a young team on the rise. They decided to bench Stewart in favor of Jalen Duren, reducing the former’s playing time. As a result, Stewart’s benching could be the main reason for his low career numbers. With the youth of the Pistons, trading Stewart for an experienced cop like Nurkic should further raise Detroit’s ceiling.