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The Phoenix Suns have been active on the trade market leading up to the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline. While the spotlight in Phoenix has been cast on Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler for weeks, a new twist in the Suns' trade plans involves center Jusuf Nurkic. More specifically, Atlanta Hawks sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic has emerged as a target for the Suns ahead of the trade deadline, league sources told ClutchPoints.
Owner Mat Ishbia and general manager James Jones have been aggressively searching the market for key upgrades to improve their championship outlook. The goal is to surround Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal with as many win-now pieces as possible, which is why the Phoenix struck a deal with the Utah Jazz recently, trading away their 2031 first-round pick for three additional first-round picks in 2025, 2027, and 2029.
In doing so, the Suns opened up the ability to utilize each of the next several drafts, possibly even attaching draft capital to Nurkic's contract in a trade this season. Phoenix has been actively exploring options to move Nurkic with one of these newly acquired first-round picks, something Michael Scotto of HoopsHype was first to report on Tuesday.
What's up with Bogdan Bogdanovic this season?
Bogdanovic, 32, has long been a respected veteran in the league and has made his mark as a valuable three-point shooter.
After beginning his NBA career with the Sacramento Kings, Bogdanovic has spent each of the last four seasons with the Hawks, averaging 15.7 points per game and shooting 39.1 percent from three-point range. This season, Bogdanovic is averaging just 10.0 points per game and shooting 30.1 percent from distance, both being career lows for the Serbian guard.
Injuries have contributed to Bogdanovic's struggles this year. Aside from suffering a hamstring injury that forced him to miss a chunk of games at the very start of the season, the veteran shooting guard has since been dealing with ongoing knee issues. He is in the second season of a four-year, $68 million contract and is guaranteed $16 million for the 2025-26 season before owning a team option worth $16 million for the 2026-27 season.
The Suns have a clear need for more off-ball talents, specifically shooting threats outside of Grayson Allen on the perimeter. This is one of the main reasons why Bogdanovic is viewed as a potential buy-low option for Phoenix, sources said.
Hawks' trade strategy
As for the Hawks, their strategy for the remainder of the 2024-25 season has shifted with recent news of emerging star Jalen Johnson suffering a season-ending labrum tear in his left shoulder. With Johnson out and the team owning a 22-25 record, Atlanta is prepared to remain below the tax line and become soft sellers at the NBA trade deadline to acquire draft assets.
Along with making Bogdanovic available, veteran center Clint Capela is another player the Hawks want to field offers for, sources said. Capela has been made available in Atlanta since last season's trade deadline. At this time, he has generated very little interest thanks to making $22.2 million in the final year of his contract with about $2 million in built-in incentives.
The Hawks have decided not to play Bogdanovic over their last two games, and he is now listed as “not with team” and out on their injury report. Capela will miss his second straight game on Thursday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to what is being labeled as back spasms. A decision to elevate Onyeka Okongwu into the starting lineup over Capela has only sparked even more trade speculation surrounding the veteran big man in Atlanta.
A possible third team involved?
Whether or not the Suns and Hawks can find common ground on a deal that would send Bogdanovic to Phoenix revolves around where Nurkic could potentially end up. It isn't expected that the Hawks would be taking on Nurkic's contract, which would make this scenario involve at least one more team.
The Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Raptors are all organizations that have signaled to rival teams that they are willing to take on contracts for draft capital at the trade deadline.
The Suns, who are currently 24-22 this season, are scheduled to play four road games before the NBA trade deadline, starting with the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.