Stephen A. Smith advocates for Suns Jimmy Butler trade with harsh 'soft' criticism

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Recently, 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 currently sit at 16-18, but did pick up an impressive road win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday evening.

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

Recently, Stephen A. Smith took to ESPN to give a harsh criticism of Phoenix, as well as some friendly advice on why he thinks they should pursue Jimmy Butler via trade.

“Nobody gives a flying frog’s fat you-know-what about the Phoenix Suns, we don’t care,” said Smith. “Why do they want Jimmy Butler so bad? Because they need a rough rider in that locker room… They’re soft.”

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

Would Jimmy Butler help the Suns?

The Suns would certainly get better if they were able to find a way to replace Bradley Beal with Jimmy Butler, but whether or not that would lift them up to the same level as teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder or Dallas Mavericks is a different question.

The Suns’ issue has been stacking regular season wins just to even be able to get to the playoffs, and Butler has become notorious for his lack of effort and availability in those contests. If Phoenix were able to get to the postseason, Butler’s presence would make them a lot scarier to deal with 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 different occasions throughout his NBA career. While there’s no denying his talent, it’s certainly worth considering whether he would be worth the drama he has proven to bring along with him at his different career stops.

In any case, the Suns will next take the floor on Tuesday evening on the road vs the Charlotte Hornets. That game is slated to tip off at 7:00 PM ET.

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