Phoenix Suns: 5 Reasons To Stop Being Depressed
5. Pros From The Trade Deadline
There was a lot of negativity coming out of the 2015 NBA Trade Deadline, and rightfully so. One day, the Suns still had the Dragon, a player universally beloved in Phoenix. Two days later, he was gone and fans were left with an empty, stinging sensation in their hearts after some nasty words were hurled between Dragic and the front office.
Watching Thomas thrive with the Celtics immediately following his trade also stung. In return, the Suns got a promising 23-year-old combo guard, but Knight was happy with the Milwaukee Bucks and hurt by suddenly being traded away from a playoff squad.
The Suns didn’t shore up their rebounding at the deadline. They didn’t bring in the kind of frontcourt defender or big-name veteran they need to take the next step forward. In those regards, the trade deadline was a disappointing failure.
But consider this: if Dragic had kept his mouth shut about his lack of trust with the organization, the Suns would be losing him this summer for nothing. Instead, they got two future first-rounders, which is better than nothing even if those picks aren’t top-10 picks.
Losing that Lakers’ top-five protected pick still feels like a mistake, but there’s also the chance Los Angeles improves dramatically over the summer, thereby decreasing the value of that pick in 2016. Think about it. Isn’t it possible the Lakers trot out a lineup of Julius Randle, a healthy Kobe Bryant, their top-five selection in this year’s draft plus one or two free agents they acquire with all that cap space they have?
Knight hasn’t given the Suns much to be excited about yet (more on that in a bit), but he’s still adjusting to his new home. The Suns got three draft picks at the deadline and though they didn’t improve enough to make the postseason, they still preserved their bright future by bringing in young talent and more assets.
The trade deadline was a dark day for most Suns fans. But there’s a good chance they could feel very differently about it down the road, especially since Phoenix didn’t have to overpay to keep Dragic around.
Next: Tucker's Hot Streak