With the Oklahoma City Thunder possibly getting ready to hit the reset button on their roster this upcoming offseason, the Phoenix Suns should look to capitalize on that situation and find their center of the future.
Since the conclusion of the Phoenix Suns’ regular season nearly a month ago there has been a lot of talk. The majority of the discussion is trying to predict what the Suns’ plans are for this much anticipated summer.
And now that we know who the head coach will be, as soon as we know where the Suns will draft, the entire focus of the conversation will shift to who the team could possibly acquire in free agency or via trade. While this is not uncommon for lottery-bound teams, it is ramped up to a different level for the Suns.
It has been because all signs indicate that this will be the busiest summer in recent history for the team.
One of the big questions was answered when the Suns announced the signing of Igor Kokoskov to a 3-year contract. With Kokoskov on board, many people speculate that the Suns will select Luka Doncic, as the two were together on the Slovenian national team last summer. If this scenario comes to fruition, then the most glaring need on the roster is the center position, and the Suns will be hard-pressed to find a center who is starting quality, free agent Clint Capela being the biggest name, although will likely be retained by the Rockets at any cost.
This means that the Suns’ only route to add a quality center would be through a trade.
That is why the perfect candidate for the Suns to target is Steven Adams. After a loss in 6 games to the Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, and the upcoming free agency of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, the Thunder could be shipping out players and clearing their books of big contracts.
Adam is owed over 75 million total over the next three years, a contract that would make dealing him and dealing for him a challenge. But that gigantic amount could also mean that he could come at a discount if they really feel they need to clear out space.
If the Thunder decide to blow up their team the Suns should be more than ready to help. An offer for Adams would require at least one young player, draft picks, and a salary filler. A trade could look roughly something like this:
For the Thunder, the opportunity to add three young players on cheap contracts to put around Russell Westbrook for the next few years while also sending out their second biggest contract would be a good haul. They also get Dudley’s expiring contract which can be very valuable for use in a future trade. If nothing else, Dudley is a veteran who is great in the locker room for any team.
Getting a proven starting center to build around with in this trade makes it a huge win for the Suns – it also eliminates this risk that they strike out in free agency.
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Adams would fit in perfectly with a ball dominant group of guards, much like he has his whole career, with a group of Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, and Josh Jackson. Adams would do all of the little things to help them win, get offensive rebounds, set tough screens, and play tough defense.
If the selection in June is indeed going to be Doncic, as it looks like it might. Then the Phoenix Suns should pursue Steven Adams to fill their void at center for years to come.