Brandon Knight of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 18, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo : Getty Images/Andy Lyons)
The Phoenix Suns is a team that was expected to proliferate in NBA trade rumors now that the deadline is near.
There are already major moves being made as Serge Ibaka has been moved and more players are being made available. The Suns can choose the direction of their team, but one thing is clear, they have numerous assets that can actually rival the Boston Celtics or Denver Nuggets.
In a report from Hoops Hype, an anonymous GM stated that the Suns "would love to package their assets to acquire a star. Keep in mind, this is a team that has all of their first-round picks, incoming first-rounders from the Miami Heat (in 2018 and 2021), and a roster full of young players such as Devin Booker (20 years old), Alex Len (23), TJ Warren (23), Brandon Knight (25), Marquese Chriss (19), Dragan Bender (19) and Tyler Ulis (20) among others that could be packaged in a trade."
With all those players below 25 years old, it may be time for the Suns to take a long, hard look at what they want from their team. But first, they must choose which players should be worth keeping. Devin Booker seems like a clear lock on the team, probably the only player that could be a cornerstone.
The two power forwards they drafted last June, Bender and Chriss have also shown potential and since they've only been in their rookie year, they merit a pass. This is why the rumored offer for DeMarcus Cousins involved center Alex Len, TJ Warren and their draft pick. The value was too presumed to be too low for the Kings (if an actual offer was made, even Sacramento could have refused).
Is their willingness to trade their draft pick, which is a lottery pick even with to 5 potential, indicative that they've had enough of the youth movement? It's possible, but the players they want to trade have low value including the once-coveted Brandon Knight.
According to Bleacher Report, Knight's value is at its lowest. "Knight has been flat-out terrible while suiting up in the desert," Adam Fromal stated. "His player efficiency rating of 12.4 is rather telling since that's a stat that typically rewards volume shooting. Even though scoring serves as Knight's lone marketable skill at this stage of his sinking career, he's still posting a below-average mark."
If they traded Knight last season, they could have packaged their picks and grabbed a veteran. Now, their situation is more complicated.
Should they trade veterans with value like Eric Bledsoe and PJ Tucker for more draft picks and go on a full youth movement? That would mean more losing seasons, but given how the Sixers seem to have justified their tanking, it might give the Suns reason to consider.
