Suns' top trade target issues desperate come and get me plea

With the NBA trade deadline coming into focus, it was a surprise to see the Phoenix Suns mentioned as potential buyers.

When you're having the kind of season that they are and have a chance at making the playoffs, you have to take that kind of opportunity seriously.

Jonathan Kuminga officially wants out of Golden State

It felt like perfect timing then, when Shams Charania dropped the news that Jonathan Kuminga hasn't just asked to be traded by the Golden State Warriors, he has demanded it.

Why this is an important development in The Valley is because the price to acquire the 23-year-old forward has never been lower. The Warriors have to get rid of him, and quickly.

Whereas in the summer there was speculation that an offer was rejected from the Suns that included Grayson Allen, another player and some second round picks, you best believe the Warriors won't be getting that kind of deal this time around.

Not helping their case either is the fact Kuminga has been glued to the bench, receiving plenty of DNP-CDs despite the Warriors clearly needing a spark to ignite their season.

Contrast that with the Suns, who have rehabbed the trade value of both Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale by showcasing them in the offense. Another reason to rate head coach Jordan Ott.

We've just seen Trae Young, who has had a better career than Kuminga to this point and was once a franchise cornerstone in Atlanta, get moved for a pair of expiring contracts.

The Ja Morant saga likely has some time yet before it is resolved, and when a deal is called in to the league it is not going to come close to what the Memphis Grizzlies could have gotten for him a few years ago.

So Kuminga might just represent the perfect opportunity for the Suns to strike and add a young player with clear upside, and who the Warriors want to get rid of immediately.

With many other franchises around the league waiting on Morant, or more likely Anthony Davis, to see what happens there, Phoenix can pull a fast one and get Kuminga on the cheap.

There would be lots to like about his potential fit as well, although it is unclear if he has the motor to play with the kind of effort required by coach Ott.

This is a great place for the Suns to be, as they prove that their re-tooling around Devin Booker isn't going to take nearly as long as so many "experts" predicted.