Utah Jazz Trade Three First-Round Picks To Phoenix Suns

SALT LAKE CITY- The Utah Jazz have completed a trade of three future first-round picks to Phoenix in exchange for the Suns’ unprotected first-round pick in 2031.

The benefits of this trade for the Utah Jazz may be unclear at first, so let’s break down the transaction.

The Phoenix Suns are trading their 2031 unprotected first to the Utah Jazz for three first-round picks, sources tell ESPN. The Suns are acquiring the least favorable firsts in 2025 of Cleveland/Minnesota, 2027 of Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah and 2029 of Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 22, 2025

Danny Ainge and the Utah Jazz have built up a bank of draft picks over the last few years thanks to the Donovan Mitchell trade to the Cavaliers and the Rudy Gobert trade to the Timberwolves, giving them the ability to package and deal them down the road.

The Suns will be acquiring the least favorable of the Jazz’s first-round draft picks in 2025, 2027, and 2029, meaning, based on results from the given year, the Suns will receive the pick closest to the end of the first round, whether it comes via Cleveland, Minnesota or Utah themselves depending on the year.

What’s In It For Utah?

You might be asking, how does this benefit the Jazz? The pick that Utah received from Phoenix is unprotected, meaning regardless of its position, even if it is No. 1 overall, the Jazz will own the pick. So, the Jazz traded three “least-favorable” first-round picks for one potentially high-value pick that Utah can either use it themselves or trade it for other pieces.

What’s In It For Phoenix?

So why would the Suns want to trade their valuable pick? Phoenix has been rumored to be in contention to trade for Jimmy Butler and the three first-round picks that they received from the Jazz give them more ammo in their potential offer to the Miami Heat.

A Mutually Beneficial Trade

In the end, both teams benefit from the trade. The Jazz are able to unload some of their many first-round draft picks in exchange for value down the road, and the Suns now have the number of picks that may be necessary to acquire Jimmy Butler.

What Do Utah’s Future Picks Look Like Now

Jazz fans can rest assured that the Jazz will still have the ability to acquire desirable college talent in the 2025, 2027, and 2029 NBA Drafts since they have multiple first-round picks each year, but with all the movement, it can be hard to know exactly where those picks might land or which teams they might come from.

Bobby Marks, the NBA Front Office Insider for ESPN, posted this graphic on X to help Jazz fans better understand what the team can do in the upcoming drafts.

The Jazz are consolidating their first-round picks acquired in the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell trades.

Including the 2031 unprotected first from Phoenix, Utah has 11 first-round picks in the next seven years. pic.twitter.com/mmdx5M4wmE

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) January 22, 2025

Tanner Tripp is a sports writer for KSL Sports covering all teams across the state of Utah. Follow him on X @tanner_tripp and Instagram @tanner.tripp here.

What more coverage of the Utah Jazz? Take us with you, wherever you go.

Download the new & improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. You can stream live radio, video and stay up to date on all of your favorite teams.

Follow @tanner_tripp