Valley of the Suns
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Swap of Dudley for Holmes is great news for young Suns

By Dan Volpone

PHILADELPHIA,PA - JANUARY 26: Richaun Holmes #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers waits for the rebound against the Phoenix Suns at Wells Fargo Center on January 26, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA,PA - JANUARY 26: Richaun Holmes #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers waits for the rebound against the Phoenix Suns at Wells Fargo Center on January 26, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Phoenix Suns have shipped out Jared Dudley and brought in Richaun Holmes in consecutive deals. That’s great news for the team’s young prospects.

According to Adrian Wojnarowki of ESPN, the Suns have traded Jared Dudley and their 2021 second round pick (protected top 35) to Brooklyn for Darrell Arthur. The Suns are expected to buy out Arthur, but the difference between Dudley’s and Arthur’s contracts frees up about $2.1 million in cap room for this season.

The Suns will use that cap space to acquire center Richaun Holmes from Philadelphia. The Suns will send back cash considerations, according to Yahoo’s Shams Charania. By creating extra cap space to acquire Holmes, the Suns maintain their room exception of $4.4 million to sign another player.

The moves don’t free up a roster spot, but they do show that the Suns are placing more of a focus on young talent. Davon Reed, Shaquille Harrison, and Troy Daniels should all feel more confident in their roster spots today than they did yesterday.

After waiving Arthur, the Suns will be down to the limit of 15 players on the roster. They may look to add another player since they still have the room exception, but all signs point to Tyson Chandler being the guy they’d let go.

By moving on from Dudley, the Suns show they value young projects more than veteran leaders. And by adding Holmes, they finally add a backup center to the team. Both of these things make Chandler unnecessary on the roster.

On top of the current 15-man group, George King is signed to a two-way contract, and the Suns have room to sign one more such deal. It’s possible they cut one of Reed, Harrison, and Daniels and attempt to sign them to a two-way. But it makes more sense to cut Chandler, which would give the young players more minutes and eliminate the risk of losing them to another team.

Next: Phoenix Suns: breaking down new big man Richaun Holmes

If there’s one takeaway from today’s moves, it’s that the Phoenix Suns are looking to get as young as possible. They could be ready to move on from their veterans and give more chances to their young guards.

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