The Phoenix Suns’ perfect trade offer for Orlando’s Aaron Gordon
By Adam Maynes
The Phoenix Suns need a power forward and another dynamic scorer to play alongside Devin Booker and Kelly Oubre. Former Arizona Wildcat Aaron Gordon would be a perfect fit.
The Phoenix Suns are once again floating along in a listless season, staring at the playoffs from the outside looking in, and already with an eight-game losing streak under the belt for the fifth-consecutive season.
The hope and promise that James Jones‘ offseason acquisitions and the 7-4 start gave the fanbase has all but faded away as fear slowly but surely has gripped the Valley of the Suns that the franchise is not quite as near to a complete turnaround as one believed, or that the turnaround will not come before Devin Booker decides that he wants out.
Something has to be done – and it has to be done quickly.
For Devin Booker and the fan’s sake, James Jones need to at least give an injection of excitement so that this season doesn’t completely turn into just another one of failure and missed, apparently somewhat lofty expectations.
Aron Gordon can, to some degree, be that shot of energy, and even potentially be the additional dynamic player that the roster so desperately lacks.
At only 24-years-old and still a local favorite from his days with the University of Arizona, Gordon is neither an All-Star (at least not yet) nor a superstar, but is the kind of player that would thrive in Monty William’s run-and-gun offense as he waits for fastbreak passes from either Ricky Rubio or Booker.
His contract too is one of the better, cap friendly, ones in the league.
A descending deal, he is earning over $21 million over the course of this season, then $19.8+ next year, $18.1 the following season, and $16.4 million to close out his deal in 2021-22.
While not a 20+ point scorer in his career to date (he has also never played with a legitimate start point guard like Rubio or a star player like Booker), his ability to average at least 17 points per game and to some degree stretch the floor (only a 31.9% outsider shooter in his career so far, although while shooting 29.2% this season, there is hope for some upside as he shot 34.3% the last two seasons combined), he would still be a very good fit with the way the roster has been built thus far.
Watching Gordon sprint down the court for alley-oops and high-flying dunks would be exciting and finally make the Phoenix Suns fun to watch again, with added depth to the roster that is desperately needed.
All of that said, James Jones should not make this (or any) major trade until every effort to acquire a true star (at least Karl-Anthony Towns) has made.
Therefore, even if an executive at the Orlando Magic called the Suns today with the very deal proposed on the next page, Phoenix should agree to listen to it, but then use that deal as leverage to try to find another deal.
If by the trade deadline (or at least close to) nothing bigger materializes, this deal should be struck and the Suns will be significantly improved, regardless.