Yesterday we dissected the position of Landry Shamet at the Phoenix Suns, proposing that the franchise need to make a decision on the future of the 25-year-old shooter.
The summarisation is that the Suns current offensive scheme does not effectively utilise the strengths that Shamet possesses. As a consequence, Phoenix need to either adjust their style to better value Shamet and three-point shooting, or use his contract as a means to acquire an asset that better fits the system.
The Phoenix Suns could look to offload guard Landry Shamet, with options likely available given the league’s high-value on three-point shooting.
Set to begin his fifth season in the league, Shamet is embarking on a new four-year contract worth $42.5 million. However, less than half of that is guaranteed with the team holding power over the deal in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Shamet’s contract makes him an obvious inclusion into any Phoenix Suns trade package. While the approximate $10 million a season isn’t an exorbitant amount of money, it’s a fair chunk of cash that Phoenix could use in aggregating salaries.
That’s the ideal result if Shamet were to be traded – that he’s part of a major deal that nets the Suns a major, difference-making player that makes at least $15-20 million a season. Phoenix have the contracts of Shamet, Dario Saric and Torrey Craig, all of which equate to around $25 million. They also have the majority of their draft capital moving forward.
Shamet himself, a bench piece averaging around 20 minutes per game, isn’t going to land Phoenix a more substantial asset in return. But as already mentioned, it would be about finding someone more valuable in the Suns system and a player that could theoretically be a part of the team’s playoff rotation next season.
Here are three trade ideas the Suns could consider should they wish to move on from Shamet.