Phoenix Suns
Proposed draft compensation: Jimmy Butler
In many ways, the Phoenix Suns are the big reason why such a blockbuster deal gets proposed. It's the worst-kept secret in the world that Jimmy Butler is trying to force his way (via trade) to the Suns and getting teams to help them make that happen will likely be the biggest story between now and the NBA Trade Deadline. Will the Suns be able to find the right combination of teams to land Jimmy? That remains to be seen in reality but at least in this proposed deal, they are successful in their pursuits.
In this deal, the Suns find a landing spot for Bradley Beal (who would waive his no-trade clause) and they would get Jimmy. The Suns probably have to burn every last one of their assets to get a deal done but nevertheless, there's at least some hope for the team heading into the second half of the season. I'm not sure how confident I would be in Jimmy completely saving the Suns during the second half of the season but at the very least, his addition to this roster would give them a potential spark that they don't currently have on their roster.
And if the Suns are able to get a motivated and healthy Jimmy, there's reason to believe that he could have one more magical playoff run up his sleeve. The fact that he'll be able to play off Kevin Durant and Devin Booker instead of the less-than-spectacular supporting cast that he had in Miami may be exactly what he needs at this point in his career.
For the Suns, they would clearly be going all-in on this acquisition. It could very be their last shot to put together a championship roster around Kevin Durant. At this point, if the Suns are opposed to retooling around Booker, this is probably their best path forward. It may be considered a desperate move but that's exactly what the Suns are at this point. Phoenix would probably be the first to admit that too. The Suns need to make a big move at the trade deadline if they want to salvage their season. At least for now, it does seem as if all their eggs are in Jimmy's basket.