With NBA trade season unofficially opening on Dec. 15, the Phoenix Suns outlook of possible moves continues to take shape.
It remains unlikely that the Suns will be among the league’s biggest buyers due to a lack of draft capital and assets. They’ve taken multiple big swings in recent years by trading for Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and, most recently, center Mark Williams.
We shouldn’t expect any blockbusters from Phoenix this year, a team still waiting on young stud Jalen Green to return from a hamstring injury. What the Suns are more likely to do is move existing assets in an attempt to recoup draft picks, free up salary cap space or a mix of both.
Due to that, Grayson Allen seems a prime target that other teams around the NBA could inquire about leading up to the February trade deadline.
Prior to a quad contusion injury that kept Allen sidelined for eight games total, he was on pace to shatter the Suns franchise record for 3-point makes in a season. That’s a record that’s stood for 20 years from sharpshooter Quentin Richardson.
Though he's still on pace to get that record if he doesn't miss more games, Allen’s pace has slowed since returning from injury, shooting 7-of-34 from beyond the arc (20.6%).
Despite the cold spell from deep, Allen should remain a tantalizing trade target for teams in the playoff picture looking to add shooting.
Here’s a look at possible landing spots for Allen should general manager Brian Gregory opt to move him.
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons, much like the Suns, have shattered expectations early on in the 2025-26 season. With a 21-5 record at the time of writing, Detroit stands alone atop the Eastern Conference and looks to be a legit contender to come out of the East when postseason play rolls around.
Led by young stars Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, Detroit is no doubt a team that could look to add established veterans ahead of the trade deadline. Getting reinforcements before the playoff push for a team on the rise makes a lot of sense.
So, too, does adding Allen. Detroit ranks 28th in the NBA in 3-point attempts per game. Only the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets attempt fewer long-range shots. The lack of 3-point volume hasn’t hurt the Pistons in the win-loss column, but adding shooters is never a bad idea as an in-season acquisition.
Allen could plug and play for Detroit as a guy who instantly adds shooting and floor spacing around Cunningham and Duren.
The Pistons could send Jaden Ivey’s expiring contract and draft pick(s) to Phoenix in return. If the Suns wanted to get even more money off the books this summer, they could package both Allen and Royce O’Neale to Detroit for picks and Tobias Harris’ expiring deal of roughly $26.6 million.
Freeing up that money would help the Suns address how they go about re-signing Williams and Collin Gillespie this offseason.
Atlanta Hawks
Another Eastern Conference team that could be looking to retool its roster is the Atlanta Hawks. There are already plenty of trade rumor rumblings that they could opt to move on from point guard Trae Young.
Young has only played five games due to a knee injury this season, but Atlanta has played well despite his prolonged absence. They’re currently 15-12 and in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Young will be a free agent at season’s end with his roughly $46 million contract coming off the books. That could be appealing for a Suns squad looking to free up salary for their own impending free agents.
However, Young does have a player option for 2026-27 worth nearly $49 million. After missing so much time this year already due to injury, there’s a pretty good chance Young will exercise that option, which would handcuff what the Suns are able to do this summer.
Given that and the fact that they’d need to trade much more than Allen for a Young salary dump, perhaps a different expiring contract could appeal to Phoenix.
Kristaps Porzingis, who is likewise sidelined as he deals with an illness, is another expiring contract Atlanta may look to move.
Porzingis has plenty of value when he’s healthy enough to play, but that’s unfortunately been the big question mark for him in recent years.
Orlando Magic
Another team in the playoff hunt that should look to add shooting is the Orlando Magic.
They rank in the bottom 10 in the NBA in both 3-point attempts and 3-point percentage. Getting more outside shooting around Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner should be a priority for Orlando.
The issue for the Magic becomes who they’d trade to acquire that shooting. Pretty much everyone on Orlando’s roster is locked up for multiple contract years, which takes away Phoenix’s optionality in terms of getting an expiring deal in return for Allen’s services.
The Magic likely want to move on from forward Jonathan Isaac. He’s fallen almost completely out of Orlando’s playing rotation this year and has had his own issues staying healthy.
The former No. 6 overall pick showed flashes of being a solid NBA player in the past, but it would be a huge gamble for Phoenix to take on the remaining years of his contract unless the front office felt strongly they could buy low on a reclamation project they could revitalize in The Valley.
A trade framework of Isaac plus draft picks for Allen works on paper, but logistically speaking it’s hard to imagine the Suns taking on that type of long-term commitment and risk.
Orlando needs shooting, but they may not be able to cobble together a trade package that entices the Suns to do business.