While the Phoenix Suns begin their training camp this week, grinding things out in the gym to forge a solidified unit, James Jones continues his own work from upstairs, taking calls and pulling strings to try and improve the team his own way.
Last year, Phoenix fell two games short from achieving their ultimate goal, and even though they made some notable adjustments to their roster via free agency and the trade market, a few more might be on the way.
As it stands now, the Suns own an impressive roster, surely able to compete for a title this coming season. However, they might need one or two more players to push them over the top. But with free agency having sung its swan song, Phoenix can only explore trade offers at this point.
With exception to Ben Simmons, who the Suns need to stay far away from, several other names around the league continue to draw interest as trade pieces. Many strike as compatible pieces to Phoenix’s already established core, to which Jones would be wise to inquire about.
Of course, doing so puts the Suns into a position where they potentially need to exile a few players or draft picks. Nobody wants to break up this group working to build chemistry as we speak. But at the same time, Phoenix still owns an incredibly deep and youthful roster, so parting ways with a few pieces to try and “win now” feels well worth the sacrifice.
While acknowledging this, we cannot help but hope the Suns make one of these three trades before things really get rolling.