According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Phoenix Suns are one of a few teams interested in potentially trading for Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis. However, if they decided to do that, it would be no better than the moves they made just a couple of seasons ago that put them in a terrible financial position.
“Meanwhile, big man Domantas Sabonis is still worth monitoring in the weeks ahead,” Amick wrote. “When Toronto rolled through town on Wednesday, it wasn’t all that hard to imagine him putting on a Raptors jersey sometime soon. While Washington, Phoenix and Chicago are known to have had some interest in Sabonis, league sources confirmed reports that Toronto is a legitimate possibility as we approach the deadline.”
Sabonis is an extremely talented player, but trading for him would not be a smart decision for the Suns.
Domantas Sabonis trade would be a mistake for Suns
So far this season, Sabonis’ numbers are way down, and the Kings are one of the worst teams in the NBA. And while he could definitely help improve the Suns’ offense, he could destroy their defense.
For all of his incredible offensive talent, Sabonis is not a good defender. He’s slow on the perimeter and not athletic enough to keep up with athletes driving into the paint.
Phoenix’s current center rotation is very different than what Sabonis would provide to their lineup. They have athletes, rim-protectors, and rim-runners rolling out next to Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks.
Sabonis would be a hub. The Suns and Jordan Ott would have to rework their offense in order to accommodate Sabonis, as he’s not really the type of player who can just seamlessly fit into any system.
But the real problem with Sabonis is how much money he makes. A couple of years ago, the Suns decided to trade for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Both are talented players, but neither was a great fit. And they made a ton of money.
Adding Durant and Beal put the Suns in a terrible situation financially, and a move for Sabonis could do the same. He makes $42.3 million this season, $45.5 million the next season, and then $48.6 million the year after that.
Bringing that money into the fold would seriously restrict the Suns' ability to make other moves, and they would basically be committing to a core of Sabonis, Booker, and Brooks for the foreseeable future.
That’s a dangerous place to be in. And one that the Suns know all too well.