Phoenix Suns: Potential trades with (almost) every NBA team
By Ryan Bawek
The Phoenix Suns have a few trading chips to use if they so choose this offseason. It is fun to speculate on what they could get for them.
As every Phoenix Suns fan not-so-patiently waits for the next chance to see their team in action in the aftermath of the legendary bubble performance, one can’t help but look into how to build on their success in the NBA restart and take the next step in 2020-21. Here is a trade scenario for all 29 other NBA teams this offseason.
Some of these are more realistic than others, but they are all fun.
We’ll start with the Southeast division:
Atlanta Hawks
There was a ton of chatter around the league before the 2019 NBA Draft that the Suns were very interested in De’Andre Hunter at No. 6 and likely made the decision to trade out of No. 6 once he was taken with the No. 4 pick.
He averaged 12 points and 4 rebounds as a rookie and shot 35 percent from 3-point range. He has the length, basketball I.Q., build, and the two-way potential to be an elite 3-and-D power forward for the Suns to pair with their young core of Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson.
As talented as Oubre is, and as good as he is as an offensive weapon at the moment, Hunter will be a better NBA player and a better fit for the Suns.
Deandre’ Bembry is a great throw-in as a jack-of-all-trades who can fill in a stat sheet when needed.
Charlotte Hornets
This is a bit of a potential play as Monk has been mostly disappointing in his three NBA seasons. He is a potential pick-and-roll ball handler and microwave scorer for the Suns in the 2nd unit alongside a Javon Carter or Cam Payne.
His ceiling is a guy who can average 15-3-3 off the bench and that would be the kind of guy the Suns are missing off the bench in the backcourt.
Miami Heat
Dragic probably never wants to come back to Phoenix, but there is a chance he is available this summer if the Heat are truly all-in for Giannis in the summer of 2021.
Still, there is a small chance of this happening. Miami likely just signs Dragic to a big two-year deal (he looks great in the playoffs thus far, with the gray spot!) with a one-year team opt-out to protect their flexibility in the summer of 2021.
Orlando Magic
This has been discussed a million times by now. I am less on board than I was four or five months ago, but Gordon finding his inner-Shawn Marion and buying into that role would make this worth it. That is no guarantee though. His terrible rap videos indicate he may have devolved into a “Me First” guy.
Washington Wizards
Beal’s defense has taken a hit in recent years with him becoming the Wizards’ sole offensive creator in the absence of John Wall. Hopefully, that would change in Phoenix, but he would make the Suns’ backcourt uber-talented on the Steph Curry-Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard-C.J. McCollum level.
I doubt Washington would want Oubre back as the centerpiece of a deal and this deal could ruin the Suns’ beautiful chemistry in the bubble.
If the Wizards were interested though this would be hard not to pull the trigger on.