The Phoenix Suns might have a taker in T.J. Warren
By Adam Maynes
It has long been rumored that the Phoenix Suns have interest in moving T.J. Warren this offseason to clear cap space. Dallas has now appeared as a potential suitor. If so, what can the Suns expect to get from Mark Cuban and the Mavericks?
It has presumed that the Phoenix Suns are shopping both T.J. Warren and Josh Jackson with the hopes of clearing up cap space to use in the acquisition of veteran players at both point guard an power forward.
Josh Jackson’s problems aside, T.J. Warren is a very serviceable, young player, a good scorer and a solid outside shooter, the kind of role player that would be a fantastic luxury on a good team (something I hoped the Phoenix Suns would be soon, but are now farther away than we ever imagined).
His contract is very manageable as well (especially when considering how many near 20 points per games scorers are earning two to three times as much as he is) making him a valuable piece to a number of teams.
Hence the Dallas Mavericks’ interest and the possibility that they could obtain Warren and absorb his contract saving Phoenix the approx. $10 million dollars this year allowing the Suns to better obtain the additional starting pieces they so desperately need.
If we assume that a swap would not involve a third team, Dallas does not really have a single player that the Suns would want in return that would both help the roster and still save the team money under the cap.
The Mavericks also do not have a first round pick having traded this year’s in the Luka Doncic and Trae Young trade from last season’s draft.
However, they have a second round pick, 37th overall, that the Mavs could hypothetically move in a single-player swap, which would save Phoenix millions right away.
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Last season’s 37th overall pick, Gary Trent Jr., earned $838,464 in 2018-19 and will make $1.4+ and $1.6+ per season in each of the next two years.
It is fair to argue that from the Mavericks’ perspective, while they would spend far above what a draft pick would make, there is no chance that they would draft a player of Warren’s quality and someone who could help win games right away.
From their perspective, that alone would make the trade a steal for them.
Phoenix would immediately save themselves around $9 million per year (based entirely on Trent’s contract), which when added to the approx. $9 million the Suns have under the cap right now, would open up around $18 million to spend in July to fill out the roster.
If James Jones is willing to drop Warren off as a salary dump and take on nothing more than picks, then Phoenix would have to receive a first rounder at some point in the future as well for nothing more than from a fair value aspect. Even if the idea of trading Warren is simply to create space, Warren is too good to be traded for nothing more than a second this year.
*Now Josh Jackson, on the other hand…
dark. Next. Phoenix Suns fans should prepare themselves for a draft day let down
Therefore, the Suns should also receive a future first (Dallas cannot trade their 2020 first round pick as they already traded their first away this season), likely Dallas’ 2021 pick.