Stephen A. Smith pushes for Suns trade of Jimmy Butler amid ‘soft’ criticism

Recently, the The Phoenix Suns raised eyebrows with their decision to move Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic to the bench in an effort to bring more stability to their lineup. The Suns are currently 16-18, but came off an impressive road win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.

With their injury woes and other concerns, it’s no surprise that the Suns have seen themselves mentioned in trade rumors in recent weeks.

recently, Stephen A. Smith took it to ESPN to give harsh criticism from Phoenix, as well as some friendly advice on why he thinks you should pursue Jimmy Butler via trade.

“No one gives a fat flying frog, you-know-what about the Phoenix Suns, we don’t care,” Smith said. “Why do they want Jimmy Butler so much? Because they need a rough rider in that locker room… They’re soft.”

Jimmy Butler has really made no secret of the fact that he wants out of the Miami Heat organization, and a team like the Suns may be desperate enough to pay the high price it would take to acquire his services.

Would Jimmy Butler Help the Suns?

The Suns would certainly be better if they could find a way to replace Bradley Beal with Jimmy Butler, but whether that would elevate them to the same level as teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder or Dallas Mavericks is another question.

The Suns’ problem was stringing together wins in the regular season just to make the playoffs, and Butler became notorious for his lack of effort and availability in those contests. If the Phoenix were to make the postseason, Butler’s presence would make them much more formidable for opponents, but that would be a significant “if.”

There’s also the added element of Butler’s attitude when things don’t go according to plan, which has now manifested itself on three separate occasions during his NBA career. While there’s no denying his talent, it’s certainly worth considering whether he’d be worth the drama he’s proven to bring with him on various career paths.

Either way, the Suns will next take the floor on Tuesday night on the road against the Charlotte Hornets. That game is expected at 7:00 PM ET.