While a draft pick could provide the Suns with a star for over a decade, a trade (or multiple trades) could kickstart championship aspirations by making them competitive as early as next season.
Of course, who General Manager Ryan McDonough drafts in June will determine what kind of trades he may or may not subsequently make. For instance, if McDonough selects Lonzo Ball, Markelle Fultz, or any other top-rated point guard, then the odds of his subsequently trading Eric Bledsoe skyrockets.
Brandon Knight seems like the first player the team will attempt to jettison, it’s just a matter of whether or not anyone really wants him.
If the Suns re-sign Alex Len, and with the emergence of Alan Williams, should the Suns trade Tyson Chandler?
Is T.J. Warren automatically on the trade block if the Suns draft Josh Jackson?
Jared Dudley still has two-years and $20 million remaining on his contract. Could he be used in a package for a young star with a contract already under the new widened salary cap?
For now we must wait until the draft lottery in May, and the draft in June, as the Suns are in a unique place right now with who they draft dictating what trades Ryan McDonough will look to make in the weeks following.
It must be noted that I have no intention of over-valuing any of the aforementioned players on this roster. If Ryan McDonough is able to pull off some kind of an equal or above talent trade for Bledsoe and Knight, all of us in the Valley of the Suns will be extremely excited. But I do not claim to be able to find that kind of a trade available, as trades of that sort do not seem to pop up out of the blue and surprise fans.
For this post, I looked more for salary dumps and draft picks. Players in return were often looked at as individual keepers who would fill a reserve role and future draft picks, which can of course be used as assets in future trades.