It has been an interesting few weeks to start the New Year for the Phoenix Suns, along with their fan base, leading up to the February 8 trade deadline in the NBA. The peaks and the valleys, the highs and the lows. Beating the Orlando Magic in the Miami Heat…yay! Losing to the Portland Trail Blazers and blasted by the Los Angeles Clippers…boo!
Like every team in the NBA, the Suns have holes in their team. The challenge that they face is they do not have many outs to fill those holes from a roster construction standpoint. That conundrum alone leaves us wondering what moves, if any, Phoenix will make prior to the trade deadline.
It’s been rumored that the Suns are seeking an athletic wing to bolster their roster, but when you begin to delve into what they can offer to opposing teams, it is a short list. Outside of trading one of the Big Three — and Bradley Beal has the ‘ole “no trade clause” attached to his contract — the Suns aren’t packed full of assets that other franchises are salivating over.
The team’s most viable and tradable contracts were all obtained in the Deandre Ayton trade.
Good job, James Jones. Mission accomplished on this front. You took the $102.1 million DA was owed over the next three seasons and turned it into roster flexibility. And surprising production. I tip my hat to you.
Every other contract outside of the Ayton remnants is either a maximum or veteran minimum contract.
You go further down the asset rabbit hole and, knowing that Phoenix has very few picks to sweeten the pot of any deal, it gets tougher to see how the Suns could obtain anybody of value via trade.
Jusuf Nurkic has been playing well for Phoenix, averaging 12.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 39 games played. The fit that he provides with the team isn’t something you’d want to sacrifice to get an athletic wing. Do you have visions of Drew Eubanks starting for Phoenix? I sure don’t.
Conversely, Nassir Little hasn’t provided enough value for Phoenix in his short time with the team. He’s played in 25 games, starting 2, and is averaging 4.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 14.7 minutes. He’s shooting 31.4% from three-point range. Extrapolated out to his per 36, that’s good for 12 points and 5.9 rebounds. Meh.
James Jones has some wizardry up underneath his hat, Little remains on the team.
Which brings us to Grayson Allen.
Leading the league in three-point shooting and having a career year in pretty much every statistical category, Allen is the Suns’ most appealing asset. He makes $8.5 million and is an unrestricted free agent next season.
This means he is appealing to nearly every team in the NBA.
The first would be the one seeking a salary dump. Let’s say, simply for argument’s sake, you are the Chicago Bulls. You have a decision before you as Patrick Williams is scheduled to be a restricted free agent next season. His qualifying offer? $12.9 million. Like you’re doing every season, you’re underperforming as your team is in the middle, currently slotted as the ninth seed of the Easter Conference. So what do you do?
