Phoenix Suns should trade for Shooting Guard Nik Stauskas
The Phoenix Suns have a need at the shooting guard position and should try to trade for Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas to address that need.
The injury bug unexpectedly hit the Phoenix Suns this past summer. Injuries dwindled the depth at the shooting guard position, Brandon Knight tore his ACL then soon after rookie Davon Reed had to have meniscus surgery on his knee. There have been plenty of solutions thrown around of how to address the shorted depth, such as free agency options, in-house alternatives or general manager Ryan McDonough’s solution which is a combination of the other two ideas. However, one avenue has yet to be explored and that is the trade route. Trading for an unwanted shooting guard on another roster could be a more than viable solution. The Suns should target Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Nik Stauskas.
Acquiring the shooting guard from the Sixers will be easy enough without the Suns giving up any important assets. Here is a potential trade between the Suns and the Sixers.
Why the Suns do this trade
Some fans will hesitate to part with the Toronto Raptors second round pick, but there is little to fear in trading the selection. Toronto’s pick will most likely be a mid to late second round pick which will not help the Suns that much. Trading away Elijah Millsap is a win for the Suns as well. There is no guarantee that he will make the roster, so this saves the Suns’ the trouble of waiving the journeyman.
Stauskas brings a solid floor spacer to the Suns’ second unit. He is not a great three point shooter, but he is much better than the majority of players on the Suns. Stauskas should thrive in Phoenix because unlike his stops with the Sacramento Kings and Sixers, he will not be pressured to be the teams best 3-point shooter. The Suns already have Devin Booker, so Stauskas should be able to help carry some the load but not all of it. If Stauskas can prove to be a solid 3-point threat off the bench this season then they can re-sign this summer after his rookie contract expires. However, if he struggles then the Suns can let him walk this offseason and give the full range to Reed.
Why the Sixers do this trade
This trade does several things for the Sixers. They gain a second round pick, granted not a great pick but a solid one. The Sixers will probably use the draft pick in a bigger trade in the future. Millsap is more of a throw-in, so the Sixers can decide if they want to waive him or keep him. They will most likely waive him and use the roster spot for someone else.
This also helps solves their problem at perimeter depth. The Sixers have a lot of young wings, but it seems that Stauskas is near the back of the line when it comes to Philly’s rotation according to Christopher Kline of The Sixer Sense. Philly does not have wing depth problems and gets a nice second round pick for the shooting guard.
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Some Phoenix Suns’ fans may not want to give up a second round pick for Stauskas. That is more than understandable, however Stauskas is a low risk, high reward target. If Stauskas can tap into the college magic that made him a lottery pick, then he is more than worth the second round pick.