The Phoenix Suns should target Malcolm Brogdon

The Phoenix Suns will most certainly make roster moves this offseason, but for whom? One player that stands out as a great fit would be Malcolm Brogdon.

One of the biggest questions for the Phoenix Suns is what they are going to do at point guard. While Ricky Rubio is great for the time being, the Suns need to think long term. When it comes to play style and fit next to the Suns’ current core four (Ayton, Booker, Bridges, Oubre) I immediately think of Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers. Phoenix would need to give up some assets this summer to land Brogdon, but I feel it would be worth it in the long haul.

Brogdon was the 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year and followed that up by joining the 50/40/90 club in 2019. Malcolm spent his first 3 seasons in Milwaukee, but behind the names of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe, and Khris Middleton, it was hard for him to develop into the player he could be in the right situation. During his time with the Bucks, Brogdon would also spend a lot of time switching between playing point guard and shooting guard, which may have disrupted his development.

2019-2020 was a breakout season for Malcolm Brogdon. During the offseason, he signed with the Indiana Pacers and took on the role of the full-time starting point guard. This season Brogdon averaged a career-high 16.3 points per game and 7.1 assists which ranks 11th in the entire NBA. While Brogdon’s shooting percentages have fallen off from last season, I believe it is because of the scoring he has had to take on with Oladipo out with injury and not having the scoring ability of the big 3 in Milwaukee next to him every night. I believe Brogdon would succeed the best in a situation where he is the primary playmaker who can score when needed, and that situation makes me think of Phoenix.

The Suns already have some pieces for the future set in Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Ty Jerome, Cameron Johnson, and Kelly Oubre Jr., but they need another piece. Brogdon could come in and do what Rubio does but to a higher extent. His shooting percentages would rise while playing with the Valley Boyz core four, and his playmaking has shown to be top-notch.

Imagining a backcourt of Booker and Brogdon is very fun for fans, but not for opposing NBA teams. Combining the efficiency and playmaking of the young guards together would be one of the best backcourts in Suns history. Ayton’s game would also continue to improve with another pass-first point guard running the pick-and-roll game with him and throwing lobs to the rim for the big man.

Obviously, the Suns would need to trade for Brogdon, who signed a 4 year $85 million contract with Indiana this summer. I think the Pacers would entertain the idea of a Brogdon trade to Phoenix. Indiana had an interest in Rubio this summer and she showed he still has a lot left in the tank this season with the Suns.

The big thing for this trade would be where Phoenix lands in the draft lottery. Packaging Rubio and a Suns first-round pick with a filler player might be enough to land Malcolm, but it will require some good fortune in the lottery.

While the fit seems perfect and would improve the Suns from this season, it would show the commitment by the front office to make moves towards winning games and an eventual NBA Championship.