Phoenix Suns Trade Option: Two Role Players for Bryn Forbes
Almost everyone wants to see the Suns trade for Thaddeus Young, with Saric and Smith often mentioned as the bait for such a deal. But those three players did not sign new deals this offseason, making themselves already available for trade—and irrelevant to the December 15th “open season” date.
Instead, Abdel Nader, Elfrid Payton, and Bryn Forbes all signed new deals this summer, making themselves interchangeable come next week.
Thus far, Payton and Nader have looked off-beat compared to their teammates. Thought as a potential floor spacer this year, Nader’s .343/286/.600 shooting slashes leave a lot to be desired. Every time Payton takes the floor, he just looks lost, unaccustomed to Phoenix’s pick-and-roll style offense.
Although Monty still believes in them, especially Nader, they both feel like the Phoenix’s two least valuable players. But as a team that lost all their assets this summer, now needing to rebuild whether they like it or not, the Spurs might want them both.
Nader and Payton are both younger than Forbes, allowing the Suns to present San Antonio with two younger guards over one slightly older one. That advertisement might not excite them too much, but it nonetheless follows in accordance with their team direction.
For Phoenix, Forbes comes over to add more spacing, which you can never have enough of. Shooting 40.9 percent from deep, he resembles a true marksman, and serviceable guard to run with during rough nights for Landry Shamet.