The Phoenix Suns are winners of three straight games and head East for meetings with the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers with a chance to break 20 wins before the turn of the year.
An unthinkable achievement before the season started, helped in part by head coach Jordan Ott figuring out his rotations early and getting the most out of the players at his disposal.
Need to trade Grayson Allen has never been more clear
Sharpshooter Grayson Allen has not been part of the latest winning run, a knee injury having sidelined him since a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers midway through the month.
The Suns have won 4-of-5 since then, and coach Ott has quickly established a rotation that does not include Grayson, but which has been successful.
Grayson Allen and Jalen Green remain out for the Suns tomorrow against the Wizards. Ryan Dunn is questionable.
— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) December 28, 2025
Particularly defensively as they have crept into 10th spot (113.5 points allowed per game) in that category. Royce O'Neale has done a fine job stepping into Allen's role, while the tandem of Jordan Goodwin and Jamaree Bouyea continue to impress.
Making the situation even more bleak for Allen when he does return is Isaiah Livers getting minutes immediately after coming back from a month out himself, while even rookie Rasheer Fleming has gotten a look across the last four games.
Allen still has value for plenty of teams out there however, given he's making 39.2 percent of his 8.2 attempts from deep (a career high) this season. That kind of consistency and volume is exactly what a franchise who feel they are one move away could talk themselves into.
So although his trade value was likely higher earlier in the campaign when he was playing and contributing, even helping to keep Victor Wembanyama quiet, the Suns could still get something of note for his services now.
He has two years remaining on his current deal after this season, with the final year a player option. It is hard to see Allen making close to $20 million in a season again, so you would think he will pick that up.
But if the Suns have a chance to add a player that coach Ott believes could thrive in his system, then they have to make the tough decision to move on from the 30-year-old.
He is the second longest tenured player that they have, but it is obvious the roster is moving in an exciting direction without him. One in which coach Ott even feels he can gives his rookies more minutes.
Let's not forget that Jalen Green still has to come back from injury too, and he represents the biggest bump in the road for Allen getting back into the rotation when everybody is fully healthy. Time to go.