The Phoenix Suns are no stranger to pursuing big-time trades under the tutelage of new owner Matt Ishbia. In Ishbia’s first day at the job, the Suns were able to acquire generational superstar Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets for a hefty package led by Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson. After a tumultuous campaign in 2022-23, Phoenix executed another trade involving an NBA star as they added supreme scorer Bradley Beal to supplement the load of Durant and Devin Booker.
The Suns have formed a fantastic Big 4 composed of Durant, Booker, Beal, and Deandre Ayton, but their depth is questionable heading into the 2023-24 campaign. Eric Gordon, Bol Bol, and Yuta Watanabe are some known names that were signed in the offseason, but the rest of the crew are on minimum deals. Since there are glaring holes for Phoenix, there are a couple of trades their front office can explore for the upcoming year.
Suns acquire: Tyus Jones, Daniel Gafford, Delon Wright, 1st round pick
Wizards acquire: Deandre Ayton
Deandre Ayton has been swirling in trade rumors ever since the tenure of former Suns head coach Monty Williams. But even if Williams is gone, Ayton will have a difficult time in his new role because he is fourth on the pecking order behind Durant, Booker, and Beal. When he is not being fed the ball by the guards, Ayton has a tough time gaining confidence and rhythm through other facets of the game.
Furthermore, Ayton’s trade value continues to plummet, especially because teams are finding out that his production dwindles in the postseason. Thus, the Suns front office must be adamant in pursuing a deal if they intend to move him in the future. Since the Washington Wizards are a rebuilding franchise, they can swing a deal with them by bolstering their depth and adding pieces that would fit the system of coach Frank Vogel.
Tyus Jones is the primary asset in this trade as his playmaking prowess is vital to Phoenix who has three spectacular scorers on the roster. However, Jones will be an unrestricted free agent by 2025, so the Suns must be prepared for that. Daniel Gafford and Delon Wright are two tremendous role players who have proven to flourish in a situation wherein they do not receive a ton of touches offensively.
Suns acquire: Clint Capela, Saddiq Bey, Kobe Bufkin
Hawks acquire: Deandre Ayton
The first deal is the better fit for the Suns, but their organization may decide to go on another direction and negotiate with another Eastern Conference team in the Atlanta Hawks,. The Hawks have two centers that play a similar style, so a trade involving either Clint Capela or Onyeka Okongwu is inevitable for the squad.
Capela will be an incredible match in Phoenix because his role is more focused on rebounding and defending, which are the attributes that the Suns lack with their team construction. For other individuals, Ayton could be the more talented choice, but Capela is the center that will mesh well with the nucleus of Phoenix.
Additionally, Capela’s acquisition gives the Suns a vertical option as the guards can lob him the ball occasionally to keep defenses guessing. Saddiq Bey and Kobe Bufkin are two athletes who have stellar upside as both individuals have not reached their prime yet. Bey will be a perfect high-volume perimeter shooter in the second unit as the Suns lack bench scorers, while Bufkin will be a project for the Suns as he was the first-round pick of the Hawks in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Source link : https://clutchpoints.com/suns-way-too-early-trades-phoenix-must-pull-off-2023-24-nba-season
Author : Diego Vergel de Dios
Publish date : 2023-09-15 00:52:43
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
