The NBA trade deadline is right around the corner.
It remains to be seen whether any franchise-altering blockbusters will take place between now and Feb. 5, but ESPN’s Shams Charania is now reporting that two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo “is ready for a new home” as the Milwaukee Bucks listen to “aggressive offers” made for their superstar.
It’s safe to say the Phoenix Suns won’t be among the teams with enough assets to make such “aggressive offers,” so what could the Suns do ahead of the deadline?
Moving the expiring contract of backup center Nick Richards remains the most likely, albeit small, move Phoenix can (and perhaps should) make.
Outside of that, Suns fans may be in for a quiet deadline. Head coach Jordan Ott has said “we love our group,” and now with Jalen Green and Devin Booker both sidelined, the Suns will need the depth of Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale to shoulder the load in their absence.
While it’s entirely possible the Suns will opt to stand pat through the deadline, The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer (subscription required) reports that Phoenix is “exploring the market for an upgrade at power forward.”
So, what exactly does that look like?
Let’s break it down.
Suns trade rumors have them in the market for power forwards
Fischer notes that the Suns are “looking for more scoring punch at a position currently manned by Royce O'Neale.”
O’Neale was pacing to break the Suns franchise record for individual 3-pointers made in a season held by Quentin Richardson, but he’s cooled significantly by going 1-of-15 from long range over his past three games.
When O’Neale isn’t knocking down his 3-point attempts, his value as a player dips as he’s not much of a playmaker nor a standout rebounder — he’s also undersized at 6-foot-6 being asked to play the 4 spot, which shows how thin the Suns are at that position.
So, what options are out there?
Fischer notes the trade market “isn't exactly flush with fours.” The Suns certainly aren’t going to have the assets necessary to pull off yet another blockbuster deal to add a star like Giannis. Fischer notes the Suns are “known to have interest in Charlotte’s Miles Bridges,” but he reports that the Hornets are holding out for a first-round pick in return.
That could squander any trade routes in Bridges’ direction. That also doesn’t account for the fact that Bridges has said, “I would rather be here (Charlotte),” or that the Hornets are playing better of late with three straight wins and six wins over their past nine games.
Bridges is under contract through next season, so Charlotte certainly doesn’t have to move him if their asking price isn’t met.
Fischer also lists Michael Porter Jr. of the Brooklyn Nets, who just poured in 36 points in 37 minutes in a loss against Phoenix on Jan. 27. Since being traded by the Denver Nuggets, Porter has blossomed as one of the elite shooting and scoring forwards in the league (career high 25.2 points per game).
But Fischer writes “we continue to hear that the Nets aren't actively shopping him and would need to be blown away with an offer to part with their surprising All-Star candidate during the season.”
Porter would provide a clear offensive upgrade, but his defensive prowess leaves a lot to be desired and it’s unlikely he’d be available save for a Godfather offer.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter is among the names Fischer cites, “but many teams view his $20-plus million salary for next season as negative value when also factoring in his injury history.”
Fair enough.
That leaves the Suns with a pair of options that seem the most viable at this moment in time. Fischer reports that the Los Angeles Lakers have shown a willingness to include Rui Hachimura in a trade (so long as they fortify their own roster in the process), and that Bobby Portis Jr. of the Bucks may be “the best true power forward available.”
Hachimura will be a free agent at season’s end with his roughly $18.2M salary coming off the books. That could be appealing for a Suns team staring down the barrel of having to figure out how to pay one or both of their own impending free agents: Collin Gillespie and Mark Willaims.
Hachimura is a great outside shooter (43.9% from 3 on the season), but his output of 12.5 points per game isn’t exactly providing much more “scoring punch” than O’Neale already provides when he’s knocking down shots.
Making trades with a Pacific Division rival when both squads involved want to improve would also be sticky to navigate.
That leaves Portis, a fan favorite in Milwaukee who may be on his way out if an Antetokounmpo blockbuster comes to fruition.
The Suns involving themselves in a blockbuster as a third or fourth team to help match salaries is perhaps the most logical way forward for Phoenix to mix up their own roster.
A three-team trade framework among the Bucks, Suns and Golden State Warriors could see the Suns add Portis while sending off the contracts of Allen and O’Neale as Golden State ships away the injured Jimmy Butler and malcontent Jonathan Kuminga to Milwaukee, thus pairing the Greek Freak with Steph Curry.
In that scenario, the Suns would shed some salary and add a true power forward to the current mix, but whether the front office views that as advantageous (helping a Pacific Division rival land a two-time MVP) is unlikely.
As Fischer admits, the power forward trade market is thin. Short of landing Portis or Hachimura, neither of whom is a star talent, there aren’t many avenues for Phoenix to explore in the coming weeks.
Let's see what happens, but don't be surprised if the Suns are less than active.