Can the Phoenix Suns pull off a three team trade to land a second top five pick?
By Kyle Manthe
This is the best time of the year for roster building junkies. The Finals have ended earlier than usual and the draft will come two-and-a-half weeks after. It is also the time of year when news about everything means nothing and nothing means everything. With that in mind ,let’s get creative with on particular Phoenix Suns trade idea!
Phoenix Suns fans – myself included – can not be happy with how the roster is built from top to bottom. It is not enough to land the first overall pick in the draft, we want more.
Although it is unlikely for a major trade to happen, nothing is off of the table at this point. It was even recently reported by The Ringer that the Kings and Mavericks, who hold picks 2 and 5 respectively, could both be looking to trade down.
Presuming the Suns select Deandre Ayton at first overall, it does not make sense to trade up to select anyone other than Luka Doncic. This would mean that the team the Suns should be in talks with is the Sacramento Kings at number two.
It is unlikely that the Kings will want to completely trade out of the lottery, so that would mean a three-team trade is in order to make anything happen.
The team in the lottery that makes the most sense to be the third team involved is the Memphis Grizzlies. Their pick is high enough to interest the Kings and they also may still want to contend.
Their roster has three near-max contracts that will be difficult to unload but still could make the playoffs when healthy.
In this trade scenario, the Kings will be looking for extra assets in coming years, likely next year in particular when they do not own their first round pick. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, will be looking for cost-controlled young pieces to help win now, along with picks in the future.
With those needs in mind, a three-team trade would look something like this:
The only chance this trade has of going through is if the Grizzlies decide to contend next season. Either way the Grizzlies will try everything they can to get rid of Chandler Parsons and his contract, which is something the Phoenix Suns can not afford to take on while coming out of a rebuild.
What this trade does do for the Grizzlies is move on from of Ben McLemore’s deal. This does not hurt the Grizzlies as McLemore could barely get off of the bench for them last season as the second worst team in the league. They also get T.J. Warren’s long-term, affordable contract along with a young athletic forward on a team friendly contract in Marquese Chriss.
They round out the trade collecting three first round picks likely to convey each of the next three seasons.
The Kings reward for jumping back two spots is getting out of Iman Shumpert‘s 11 million dollar contract for next season, along with a late 2nd round pick. If the Kings are not sold on drafting Doncic then this deal can only help them. They clear cap space, keep a top pick, and get a free 2nd round pick to use how they wish.
The reason the Phoenix Suns do this is obvious, they get Luka Doncic and Deandre Ayton!
Phoenix has to give up three first round picks, along with a second. They also give up a future sixth man and the number eight overall selection in 2016.
Not to mention they also become to trash can for salary dumps for each team, but that is a role they should be more than happy to play.
This trade gives the Suns a young core of Devin Booker, Josh Jackson, Luka Doncic, and Deandre Ayton. The other part off this deal that is not seen at first glance is the cap space the Suns will have in the summer of 2019.
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That coming from the contracts of Tyson Chandler, Jared Dudley, McLemore, and Shumpert all expiring after this coming season. With three of their four young pillars still on rookie contracts it makes them a possible attractive and plausible free agent destination for stars.
Although it would take a specific set of circumstances for this to play out, the Phoenix Suns should be very hopeful that it does. They would likely need Luka Doncic and his agent to use their leverage over teams as well. The Suns have the assets to pull off a big trade, all they need now is a little more luck.