The Phoenix Suns are all but assured a lottery pick in the draft, but if they don’t do a trade at the deadline, then fans should be ready for the club to tank.
It’s a term that most in the NBA really don’t like to hear. Tanking wasn’t even fully embraced by a franchise until Sam Hinkie was the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers. Hinkie may be out of Philly now, but his impact is still beyond evident on the roster. Last season, the Phoenix Suns did something similar by shutting down players like Tyson Chandler and Eric Bledsoe at the end of the season. While fans would hope that the Suns’ won’t tank like that again, there are other ways for the club to be bad enough to get a high lottery pick. The Suns’ need a decent option at point guard and if general manager Ryan McDonough doesn’t deal for one before the trade deadline, then it’s pretty clear that the team is tanking.
Phoenix Suns
There are several indicators that the Suns are tanking. Scott Bordow of azcentral, has reported that the Suns aren’t looking to trade any of their young core. For those fans that were looking for the home run deal, it appears not to be. Bordow also reported that it’s unlikely that the Suns are looking to bring in a veteran point guard like Kemba Walker. While there is a chance that the Suns do try to trade for a point guard that can help fix the Suns this season, but adding a point guard that will mess with the Suns’ salary cap is unlikely, reported by Bordow. According to Kevin Zimmerman of Arizona Sports 98.7, McDonough doesn’t feel pressured to make a deal. At this point, there are very few trade scenarios that would follow the apparent plan McDonough has.
Bordow tweeted that the Suns could sign a player as a result of a buyout after the deadline. While that is an option, there is no guarantee that there will be a point guard available. If the Suns don’t trade for a point guard, it will show that they are fine with losing games at a substantial rate. Don’t get me wrong, personally I would love to get a top pick this summer. However, having a point guard that can actually run a team at a semi-decent rate is needed for the development of other young players on the roster. A team can have a decent point guard and still tank. Look at the Atlanta Hawks who have Dennis Schroder. Schroder is a good point guard, yet the team has the worst record in the NBA.
In the record tying blowout to the San Antonio Spurs, the Suns showed without a decent point guard on the roster the team is set up to fail miserably. While even an average point wouldn’t solve much of the Suns’ issues, it would help the young core to develop and stop blowout losses from happening often.
Next: Western Conference Trade Scenarios for Suns
If McDonough doesn’t pull the trigger on a trade for a point guard, then Phoenix Suns’ fans should strap themselves in for a rough end for the season. While the prospects of this summer look promising, Suns’ players and fans will have to deal with the team tanking. Time is running out for McDonough to make a move.