Valley of the Suns
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How the Phoenix Suns can facilitate a three-team trade of Anthony Davis to the New York Knicks

By Adam Maynes

PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 1: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots the ball against the Phoenix Suns on March 1, 2019 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 1: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots the ball against the Phoenix Suns on March 1, 2019 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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T.J. Warren New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
T.J. Warren New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Why the New Orleans Pelicans should do it

The New Orleans Pelicans will already be adding Zion Williamson with the first overall pick in the draft, but by losing Anthony Davis, they are guaranteeing themselves a rebuild – although with Zion in the fold plus Jrue Holiday, there is a very good chance that the rebuild will be relatively short.

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By snagging the third overall pick in this deal, the Pelicans would be able to further take RJ Barrett, creating a potential one-two dynamo from the same draft, while adding solid shooter and veteran T.J. Warren, Josh Jackson, and decent, young, point guard Frank Ntilikina who could be an eventual replacement to Jrue Holiday if he blossoms, although he is probably a lifetime backup – then again, all good teams need at least one of those.

The sixth overall pick in this draft would also provide the Pelicans with another lottery ticket should they choose, but since there generally is not expected to be a core piece available at  six (although, as Frank the Tank is a weaker point guard, they could use it on one of the potentially available ones in the draft), the Pelicans can further flip it for a veteran (as the Suns could do too if they keep the pick), either way, it becomes an asset to them for further roster improvement.

The Pelicans do not directly land a star player in the trade (although Barrett easily could be one fairly quickly), but such an occurrence rarely happens – with the Kawhi Leonard for DeMar DeRozan as the big, recent, outlier.

However, New Orleans, who is already landing Zion, will be able to add arguably the second best player in the draft in Barrett as well as a number of other players who help to tremendously improve the roster.

dark. Next. Lauri Markannen would be the impossible dream PF for the Phoenix Suns

For those who do not like the trade from a Suns’ perspective, the best argument is this: T.J. Warren probably does not have the value that we wish he would; Josh Jackson’s is waning by the arrest; and the sixth overall pick is the second worst pick the Suns could have landed, which in a projected draft of only three legit players, is too far out to expect anything special.

For the Phoenix Suns to not only get a young starting point guard and power forward, both who fit the age range of Booker and Ayton, both who are still under their rookie contracts which saves the team enough money to hopefully guarantee a re-signing of Oubre plus money to go after veteran reserves, I am not really sure who/what else the Suns could get this offseason, in any individual or successive trades, that not only improves the roster immediately, but for the future.

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