The Phoenix Suns had quite an active offseason. There will be plenty of new faces in the desert this season that figure to play pivotal roles.
That being said, there will always be injuries, unexpected disappointing performances, and other external factors that can quickly shift your team's needs.
James Jones and company have already gathered lists of potential fallback options or trade targets for contingency plans as every front office does well ahead of the season. Let’s enter front office mode and try to predict who they could be targeting.
On paper, the Suns' lone need seems to be fairly clear — a point guard. The Suns do not have a “true point guard” on their roster outside of Saben Lee. That could always change as the season plays out, but for now, let’s assume the rest of the rotation settles into place.
Who are some realistic targets for Phoenix to address this potential need?
The Targets
Keep in mind the Suns do not have a ton of juice when it comes to tradable assets. They do have a stockpile of second-round picks that were recently acquired they could use for a bench upgrade.
Unless Deandre Ayton is involved in a trade, don’t expect anything too league-altering here due to those previously laid out limitations.
TJ McConnell — PG, Indiana Pacers
Phoenix has been linked to the former Arizona Wildcat already, and the fit makes a ton of sense. This summer, Jake Fischer of Yahoo reported that the 31-year-old “has been one player on the Suns’ radar”. John Gambadoro also confirmed Phoenix was interested but said a deal was unlikely this past summer.
He (McConnell) simply feels like a Frank Vogel type of player, and his ability to defend at a high level could allow the Suns to play him alongside Booker, Beal, and Durant in a lineup with Ayton anchoring the paint. The veteran guard averaged 8.7 points, 5.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game in just 20.3 minutes per game for the Pacers last season.
He shot a career-best 44.1% from deep, though it was on just 0.8 attempts per game.
Indiana may be a better team than some expect, so if they are pushing for a playoff or play-in spot it wouldn’t make a ton of sense for them to trade McConnell. If the Pacers start slow or fall out of contention then keep an eye out on this one, there’s something cooking on low heat here.
Kris Dunn — PG, Utah Jazz
Dunn had a resurgence of sorts last season with the Jazz, though it was just in 22 games played. He has the defensive chops to be a disruptive on-ball defender, which is something the Suns could use some more of.
He averaged 13.2 points, 5.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 25.8 minutes per game for the Jazz in 2023. He held a shooting split of 53/47/77 and also cut back on the turnovers with a career-best 12.8 turnover percentage per 100 possessions.
While some may argue having both Jordan Goodwin and Kris Dunn could be redundant, we do not know which version of Goodwin we will get yet. Utah will likely be competitive with the young talent they have, but if they decide to sell off the back-end of their rotation then Dunn is a guy I like as a buy-low target.
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Monte Morris — PG, Detroit Pistons
This one is simply due to the fact that the Pistons are unlikely to make a playoff run and should sell assets at the deadline. If the Suns need a playable guard that can handle the ball for whatever reason, Morris could be someone that makes sense.
Detroit acquired him for a 2027 second round pick this summer, so if the Suns offer a pair of seconds that should be plenty. Last season, Morris averaged 10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 48% overall and 38.2% from distance.
Jalen Suggs — Guard, Orlando Magic
Orlando is loaded with a ton of guards that will be vying for minutes, and there’s a chance Suggs could fall out of their rotation. If not Suggs, maybe Anthony or another guard in that never-ending, versatile guard rotation.
I’m not sure Phoenix has the “firepower” to pull this type of deal off, but if they get creative with their picks or if a team develops interest in Camara that could be another path to explore.
This is all about buying low and acquiring talent from a team that is loaded at a certain position.
Ricky Rubio — PG, Cleveland Cavaliers
A Rubio reunion would be nostalgic for Suns fans, though it is fair to question how much he has left in the tank as he is recovering from a torn ACL. While he did not look like himself last season upon his return, he had the summer to continue his recovery.
He could at the very least serve as a “table setter” that could lead the second unit or lineups that only include one of Booker or Beal. I’m not in love with this fit, but in terms of adding reliable depth to the back end of the bench, there are worse options.
Could another wing or bigger forward be a need? Potentially. That’s another area to monitor as the season moves along. There will be another piece focusing on those potential targets in the coming weeks.
What type of trade do you think the Suns should target this winter, if any?
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September 01, 2023 at 02:00AM
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What type of midseason trades could the Phoenix Suns make? - Bright Side Of The Sun
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