It appears that the Phoenix Suns are having a hard time trading Greg Monroe, however the Suns could flip him for another Western Conference center.
Ever since the Phoenix Suns made the trade that brought Greg Monroe to the club, the franchise had hoped to trade the big man versus buying him out of his contract. With less than a month before the trade deadline, time is running out for the Suns to move the offensively gifted post player. It’s hard to imagine the Suns’ getting a lot of value for a player on the last year of his contract, but there is hope for the team. The Dallas Mavericks have seldom used center Nerlens Noel that could use a change in scenery. A swap of Monroe for Noel could benefit both the Suns and Mavericks.
The Deal
A deal involving Monroe for Noel doesn’t have to be complicated for either club.
The only reason that Josh McRoberts is included in the trade is to make sure the salary cap works out for both clubs. The Suns’ could waive McRoberts as soon as the proposed deal is completed. The only thing that would stop this trade is that Noel would have to approve it, because if he gets traded he loses his bird rights. As basic as this proposed trade is, the deal has positives for both franchises.
Mavericks’ Perspective
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While Monroe isn’t young, he isn’t super old either and does have the potential of sticking with the Mavericks after this season. While in his limited role with the Suns and Bucks this season, Monroe has averaged 21.0 minutes, 9.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.3 blocks. Monroe’s playmaking and low post scoring would be a nice addition to help grow the Mavs’ young core of Harrison Barnes and Dennis Smith Jr. It’s also pretty evident that Noel had fallen out of the Mavs’ rotation since he hadn’t played since Nov. 22, 2017. Granted part of that had to do with the thumb surgery he had at the beginning of last month. Questions remain about Noel’s long term place in Dallas after the two sides couldn’t agree to a long term deal and he signed a qualifying offer sheet that will make him a free agent this summer. With the chance of Noel leaving, the Mavs could do an in-season interview of Monroe by trading Noel.
Suns’ Perspective
Similar to if Monroe went to the Mavs, having Noel in a Suns’ uniform would allow general manager Ryan McDonough to have a very close look at Noel. The Suns’ need for a center of the future is beyond obvious. Noel’s play is very similar to current Suns’ center Tyson Chandler.
| Rk | Player | From | To | G | GS | MP | FG% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyson Chandler | 2002 | 2005 | 261 | 117 | 23.7 | .500 | .501 | .500 | .637 | 2.4 | 4.9 | 7.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 7.6 |
| 2 | Nerlens Noel | 2015 | 2018 | 211 | 158 | 26.3 | .512 | .512 | .512 | .625 | 2.2 | 5.0 | 7.2 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 9.5 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/17/2018.
There’s no doubt that there’s a similarity between the two throughout the first four seasons of each player’s career. The idea of having a younger version of Tyson Chandler should be enticing for McDonough. Chandler could mentor Noel if the proposed trade occurs. Once Noel returns from his injury, which should be sometime in early February, the proposed trade could happen and the Suns can see if Noel can be a part of their future. If he proves to be an elite defensive anchor, then the Suns should have no problem giving Noel a big contract. Having a core of Devin Booker, T.J. Warren, Josh Jackson, Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss and Noel would have the Suns in a great place moving forward.
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Being able to bring Noel to the Phoenix Suns would be a great move for McDonough and Monroe would provide the Mavs plenty of offense. Whether it’s Noel or Monroe, both will be a free agent at this season’s end. It would make more sense to get a younger talent that fits the team better and try to resign him in the offseason, than keep a center the team could end up buying out of his contract after the trade deadline.