There’s no doubt that the Phoenix Suns are in the midst of the a rebuild, but trading for a young power forward could be worth the risk.
The Phoenix Suns are loaded at power forward right with Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender, Alec Peters and Jared Dudley. The Suns still don’t know what they have at the position. Chriss shows flashes, but is still more athleticism than skill. Bender has more than enough potential, but barely shows flashes of that potential. Peters is a great shooter, but is still slow after recovering from that injury. Dudley is a great veteran to have, but is too old to be in the young team’s long term plans. Maybe this season, one of the power forwards for the Suns will finally stand out. However, if that proves not to be the case, then the Suns could flip one of their young power forwards for a slightly older but still young forward.
Kenneth Faried
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Unlike the other players that will be listed, Kenneth Faried is in the prime of his career. The Phoenix Suns won’t have to give up much to get the disgruntled big man. During the Denver Nuggets’ media day, Faried stated that he believes he is a starting power forward, which won’t happen in Denver because of Paul Millsap‘s arrival. If acquired, Faried can finish out the last two years of his contract in Phoenix as the starter while young players like Chriss and Bender are given time to develop at a slightly slower pace. Faried brings plenty of energy to a rebuilding team and a solid stat line. For his career he has averaged 11.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game. Faried has lacked a 3-point shot during his career which is the one major negative about him.
Aaron Gordon
High flyer could be an interesting fit with the Suns. Aaron Gordon has never really found his groove with the Orlando Magic after being selected by the franchise fourth overall in the 2014 draft. To be fair, he has played out of his natural position half the time with the Magic. Still as an athletic four, he could be a nice compliment to the Suns.
| Season | Age | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 19 | PF | 47 | 8 | 17.0 | .447 | .271 | .500 | .478 | .721 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 5.2 |
| 2015-16 | 20 | PF | 78 | 37 | 23.9 | .473 | .296 | .531 | .509 | .668 | 2.0 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 9.2 |
| 2016-17 | 21 | SF | 80 | 72 | 28.7 | .454 | .288 | .528 | .499 | .719 | 1.5 | 3.6 | 5.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 12.7 |
| Career | 205 | 117 | 24.2 | .460 | .289 | .526 | .500 | .699 | 1.5 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 9.7 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/12/2017.
Shooting is obviously an issue, but he is still young enough to correct the issue. Gordon’s youth is a great positive for the Suns, but adding him would mean the Suns would most likely have to lose Chriss or Bender. Still, Gordon could have a break out season this year and adding him with Devin Booker could be a nice one-two punch.
Larry Nance Jr.
Larry Nance was one of the Phoenix Suns’ great power forwards in the past. Now his son Larry Nance Jr. has proven to be a quality power forward with the Los Angeles Lakers. Now the Lakers have a log jam at power forward with Nance Jr., Julius Randle and Kyle Kuzma. All three are deserving of playing time and each bring their own unique flare on the floor. Kozma has been sensational thus fair during the preseason and Randle has the draft pedigree. That makes Nance a very interesting trade prospect for the Suns.
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/12/2017.
Nance Jr.’s stats and age suggest limited upside. However, he would be an incredible rotation piece for the Suns that could split time with Chriss and would allow Bender more time to develop in the G-League. That is if they would be part of the Suns after a trade for Nance Jr. is executed. Nance Jr. would be a nice addition to the Suns’ young core and fans would love to have another Nance with the franchise.
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The Phoenix Suns shouldn’t be in a rush to make a trade at the power forward position this season. However, if the Suns don’t feel comfortable with who they have at power forward, then a trade would be a solid option the team could look into.