The Phoenix Suns have found a groove this season by surrounding Devin Booker with better depth than he’s had in a while. With the news that Trae Young is on the trade block, the Suns have an opportunity to get involved—not as a landing spot for Young, but as a potential third team in the deal.
If the Atlanta Hawks don’t want to take on extra salary that teams have to offer in order to match Young’s price tag, then the Suns could step in as a third team, adding depth that could help Booker even more this season. Phoenix is already in a good spot, but things could be even better.
And getting involved in a Young trade could be a way to accomplish that (in the right scenario).
Suns could be third team in Trae Young trade
If the Wizards want to match Young’s salary, they will have to give up more than just CJ McCollum. It may not be flashy, but landing a guy like Justin Champagnie or Cam Whitmore could be interesting for Phoenix.
Taking a chance on guys is how the Suns made the most of this season, so continuing that process would be smart. They could also try to snag Corey Kispert, but that would involve trading one of Royce O’Neale or Grayson Allen, which may not be worth it.
The Sacramento Kings could be another team that may want in on the Young trade sweepstakes. If Phoenix found a way to steal Keon Ellis from them, it could be a very interesting move.
They already have solid guard depth, but Ellis’ defense would bring a nice new layer to the Suns’ lineup for Jordan Ott to play with.
There’s a good chance the LA Clippers would want to keep him on board in a deal, but if the Suns were able to grab Derrick Jones Jr. in a deal, he would be a perfect depth piece at the forward position (when healthy).
The biggest potential opportunity Phoenix could have would be to get involved in a three-team deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, though that would require a lot of moving parts.
In theory, the Suns could land Naz Reid or Donte DiVincenzo in a deal, but the Hawks would be taking on a lot of players and salaries. Still, finding a way to trade for either of those two players would help the Suns’ depth a lot.
Phoenix may not be the perfect choice to act as a third team in a Young trade, but it’s not an impossible idea. And if they found a way to get into the equation, the extra depth could seriously help Booker’s chances of winning.