Phoenix Suns
In theory, it was a simple decision to go all-in after making a run to the NBA Finals. After falling short at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2021 NBA Finals, the Suns decided that they were going to build this roster in a way where they could add the necessary star power to put the team over the top. The first big move that the team made involved trading for Kevin Durant. A few months later, after it became clear the Suns needed to make another move to help push this team toward a title, they acquired Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards.
After burning through much of their assets with those two moves, the Suns have been left with little to no draft capital to work with. Over the next six years, the Suns have just one tradable first-round pick 2031) and three second-round picks. They don't have control over any of their first-rounders over the next few years (because of straight-up trades or picks swaps) and it's hard to imagine how this team would theoretically rebuild the roster even if they wanted. Considering the Suns have not lived up to their potential each of the last few seasons, this is not a great situation to be in at all.
Why the Suns should consider a trade with the future in mind: At nearly the midway point of the season, the Suns are currently 19-20 and outside of the top 10 in the Western Conference standings. With how much they have disappointed so far this season, the argument could be made that this core is never going to be good enough to put it all together to win a championship. If the front office believes that to already be the case, perhaps it may be time for this team to make a big move before the trade deadline with the future in mind.
I'm not sure how easy or simple it would be, but I can't help but wonder if the Suns would be better off retooling their core in hopes of trading for some of their future picks back. If Phoenix is indeed going to return to the drawing board, it may make the most sense in the long run. The Suns may need some flexibility soon and trading for some of their future draft picks would be the easiest way to get some of that back.