Entering an offseason with plenty of questions about the future, the Phoenix Suns, ironically, are again positioned to make a big swing trade — something that’s only served to backfire in recent years.
In a collection of six trade ideas from ESPN’s NBA insiders, one such trade pitches the Suns making yet another blockbuster deal to acquire embattled Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant.
The projected deal ESPN constructs would send Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Haywood Highsmith and Jamaree Bouyea, along with two second-round picks, to Memphis for the two-time All-Star.
Now, this Suns team sputtered down the stretch and in the playoff atmosphere in part due to a lack of depth. On that basis, giving away four capable role players and more draft capital for one player is a huge risk.
But for a team in desperate need of point guard production alongside face of the franchise Devin Booker, it could actually be a risky trade worth rolling the dice on.
Ja Morant trade to the Suns is high risk, but could reap high reward
As ESPN writes, the “obvious” top priority for Memphis after moving on from Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. via trades could (and should) culminate with a trade of Morant.
The former Rookie of the Year and All-NBA talent has shown he can be among the most explosive athletes in the sport when healthy, but the “when healthy” part has eluded Morant in recent years. Coupled with off-court issues, Morant has played just 79 games total over the past three seasons since his last All-Star nod during the 2022-23 campaign.
Given that the Suns were held back this season by injuries to both Jalen Green and Mark Williams, adding another injury-prone talent doesn’t make a ton of sense.
That being said, the Suns don’t have a lot to lose — especially in ESPN’s fictional trade scenario. Both Allen and O’Neale were the primary names floated in trade rumors ahead of this year’s deadline due to their contracts and years of control. Each guy played well for stretches during the 2025-26 season, but Allen (injury troubles) and O’Neale (a largely one-dimensional shooter) don’t significantly raise the team’s ceiling.
Morant, meanwhile, has already won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award when he rose to superstardom in 2021-22. He averaged 27.4 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game that season, finishing seventh in MVP voting.
If the Suns think they can trigger a similar resurgence by acquiring Morant and slotting him back alongside former teammate Dillon Brooks — who proved a leader and culture-changer yet again during his first season in The Valley — that unequivocally would raise their ceiling in the Western Conference.
It would be a gamble on multiple fronts, but Morant himself called Brooks a “special talent” in the past and said that both Brooks and Jackson Jr. “push me to be better every day and I do the same for them."
If a change of scenery is going to spark Morant back to the talent he’s capable of being, his fit in The Valley certainly makes more sense than if he landed with other teams around the league.
Morant could fill the point guard slot, pushing breakout guard Collin Gillespie back into a sixth man role if the front office opts to retain him as well. He’d have his former teammate in Brooks, along with Booker and Green to spread the floor around him, and, chiefly, a fresh start with a new fan base to endear himself toward.
It’s by no means a sure thing, but if the Suns can buy low on Morant and feel confident they can fill out the remainder of the roster around a new core of Booker, Morant, Green and Brooks, that would give Book more firepower. Owner Mat Ishbia insists he intends to continue building around the former Kentucky Wildcat, and putting a talented point guard next to him is already a proven blueprint.
If Brooks gives the front office his stamp of approval for a talent who’s seemingly lost his way in Memphis, the match makes at least some sense for all parties involved.
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