Grading the Last 5 Trade Deadline Moves for the Phoenix Suns

The NBA trade deadline feels like a night out with the “wolfpack” from The Hangover film franchise—wild, unhinged, yet still terribly fun. But as the league’s best team right now, even boasting a 43-10 record, the Phoenix Suns might be better off omitting from this year’s mid-season festivities and keeping to themselves instead.

While sinking teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, and Portland Trailblazers currently find themselves involved in trade rumors with every player from James Harden to Davis Bertans, things remain smooth and stoic in the Valley. With no team looking better positioned to win it all right now, Phoenix’s sense of urgency to improve is naturally quite low.

However, the Suns are not entirely out of the jungle when it comes to trade deadline craziness, with some analysts naming them as suitors for Domantas Sabonis and others looking at Eric Gordon.

Of course where there’s smoke—there’s fire. But it still remains to be seen how interested Phoenix’s front office might be in either player.

But no matter what happens, the Suns will not be the ones sweating over the phone this week. Instead, they get to sit calmly at their desk, letting their phone ring all day long, and only calling back those who leave the most intriguing voicemail messages.

So with Phoenix less inclined to make a deal at the trade deadline this year than most others, why not take a trip down memory lane and check out how they have fared around this fateful time of year in the past few seasons?

How did the Phoenix Suns do at the 2021 NBA Trade Deadline?

Surely the easiest trade deadline acquisition to remember due to its recency and impact, the Suns fleeced the Milwaukee Bucks when securing the rights to Torrey Craig last spring.

Often playing as a stretch center during small ball sequences, Craig ended up playing 18.8 minutes while scoring 7.2 points per game with the Suns last year. He also stayed in the rotation during Phoenix’s run to the NBA Finals, averaging 4.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 40.5 percent from three during the postseason.

Those numbers already look quite solid for someone who only counted $1.6 million against the cap, but the fact that Phoenix only gave up a small amount of cash considerations to secure him made this deal that much more of a home run.

Craig resembled such a clear “bang for your buck” player last season, that his stock increased so much to the point where the Indiana Pacers offered him a two-year, $10 million deal.

With the Pacers looking to sell now, having just dealt Caris LeVert to the Cleveland Cavaliers a few days ago, Craig might find himself on the move once again. We know not where he might end up, but the Suns know better than anyone how valuable he can be as a mid-season addition.

Grade: A-

How did the Phoenix Suns do at the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline?

With the Suns not doing much during the 2020 NBA trade deadline, we need to jump one extra year to zero in on their next biggest splash—which revolved around point guard Tyler Johnson.

Coming over from the Miami Heat, Johnson joined the Suns with Wayne Ellington, who was cut a day later. The Heat took on Ryan Anderson and his massive contract, also cutting him during the following summer.

Although Johnson was fun to watch when healthy for the Suns even with the team struggling largely during his tenure, this exchange more so came as a cap-clearing agreement between each team, as the Suns needed to dump Anderson’s contract and the Heat no longer wanted to pay Johnson either.

Both the Heat and Suns find themselves thriving today, but the Suns surely won this deal when you look at it for what it was. While Johnson has been off of Phoenix’s books for years now, the Heat are still paying Anderson to this day, set to dish him out $5.2 million this year.

The Heat have done well despite that though, which makes this less lopsided than it might look on paper. But regardless, this trade was an early win that helped the Suns start building their current regime, as it cleared space for them to sign Ricky Rubio and Kelly Oubre Jr. the following summer, both of whom were eventually traded for Chris Paul.

Grade: B+

How did the Phoenix Suns do at the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline?

For those who jumped on the Suns bandwagon this year, Elfrid Payton actually played on this team a few seasons ago, coming over after Phoenix sent the Orlando Magic a second round pick which would eventually turn into Jarred Vanderbilt.

The Magic dealt Vanderbilt to the Denver Nuggets on draft night, who later traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he currently resides.

With Vanderbilt averaging a career-high 7.2 points per game, playing some astute defense, and starting for the playoff-bound Timberwolves, all those teams who passed him off are now likely kicking themselves.

This certainly includes the Suns, especially since they did so to acquire a guy who only played 19 games and left for nothing as a free agent the summer after.

Grade: D+

How did the Phoenix Suns do at the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline

Prior to the 2017 NBA trade deadline, the Suns sent fan-favorite and eventual NBA Finals adversary P.J. Tucker to the Toronto Raptors for two future second round picks. They also took on failed NBA product Jared Sullinger, but cut him soon after.

In that deal, the first second rounder came from that year’s draft, which eventually turned into Alec Peters. The next one came in the following draft, which turned into George King.

With those two players combining to play just 21 games for the Suns and now both being out of the league, this deal was a swing and miss for Phoenix.

However, the year after this trade, Tucker did leave the Raptors to sign a four-year, $32 million contract which he surely would have left the Suns for all the same. Although Tucker’s value today still makes this deal look rough in hindsight, Phoenix was wise to try and get something for him, even if that “something” ended up being two busted picks.

Grade: D

How did the Phoenix Suns do at the 2016 NBA Trade Deadline?

Needing to send away disgruntled forward Markieff Morris, the Suns agreed to ship him to the Washington Wizards for Kris Humphries and a first round pick.

The Suns cut Humphries the following offseason, but Phoenix taking back a first rounder felt like a steal given their urgency to move Morris. The Suns did not end up using that pick though, but instead included it in a package that landed them the rights to Marquese Chriss.

Although Chriss spent more time in street clothes than a Suns jersey when with the team, he occasionally shined as a lone bright spot for Phoenix when healthy. Had injuries not derailed his career as a young and athletic prospect, Chriss might have helped Booker spearhead Phoenix’s rebuilding efforts, rather than being traded to the Houston Rockets after two seasons.

It also should be said that the first round which Phoenix originally received from Washington was not the only thing that led the Suns to Chriss. This might feel painful to remember, but Phoenix also included the rights to sharp shooter Bogdan Bogdanovic in the deal among other assets.

Had the Suns not possessed this first round pick, they might have given up even more alongside Bogdanovic. So in a way, Phoenix somewhat saved themselves from themselves by making this move way back in 2016.

Grade: C-