Taking The Next Step Forward
Here’s the problem with the Suns, which we saw last season: they’re too talented to tank, but nowhere near good enough to be a contender, or even a surefire playoff team. Why? Because other than Goran Dragic, Gerald Green and Brandan Wright, not a single player on the roster has played more than four years in the NBA.
Over the last few weeks, as this young team has continued to struggle closing out games, Suns Twitter turned into a bed of hot takes. From “Jeff Hornacek should be fired” to “this team needs a major trade to ever be good,” we’ve seen it all. But the truth is, standing pat at the trade deadline might not be the end of the world for a young team that’s already competing for a playoff spot in a historically brutal Western Conference.
Gerald Green, a free agent this summer who will likely walk or be traded, joins P.J. Tucker as the team’s oldest player at 29. Goran Dragic, a free agent the Suns are intent on re-signing, is 28. Brandan Wright is 27 and Miles Plumlee is 26. Everyone else is 25 or younger.
What about players who would fit well in Phoenix? There’s Ryan Anderson, but the Pelicans have enough guards that the Suns wouldn’t have much to offer unless it were a convoluted three-team deal. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist would be an upgrade defensively and on the glass, but he can’t shoot.
Luol Deng would be a nice acquisition but Miami’s asking price might be too high for an aging veteran whose prime would be over by the time most of the Suns reach theirs. Arron Afflalo‘s asking price would also be too high and the other teams that need help in the backcourt right now don’t have many attractive assets to offer the Suns. The list goes on and on like this.
You want to know what the next step forward is for the Suns? Perhaps it’s as simple as paying your dues, building that team chemistry and waiting for this talented core to reach its prime together.
Next: Developing vs. Upgrading Young Talent