Ryan Anderson (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The NBA Trade rumors are in full swing as the Phoenix Suns-a team who is unsure of its destiny this season, ponders their options.
The Suns are by no means a lock for the playoffs as two teams, the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, have separated themselves from the pack.
For Phoenix, the path to the playoffs gets murkier as teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets, who went stumbling from the gate, are slowly getting their bearings and have overtaken the Suns.
Their debacle with Markieff Morris has reared its ugly head again. While there are no public trade demands this time, the Suns have clearly shown signals that Morris' time with the team is past and it's time for them to examine their options.
The Houston Rockets, another team also looking to improve to make a playoff push, has their eye on Morris and is likely to offer Terrence Jones, according to The Dream Shake.
From the Houston side of things, they note that Jones is actually at par with Morris production. Thus, it is questionable why they need to perform that trade.
The answer lies in Jones' status. He will be a restricted free agent, but the Rockets are wary that the offers may skyrocket. Thus, trading him for a Morris, who is under contract for four years at roughly $ 8 million each, is a safer option. Morris has off-court issues, but Houston is all about the talent and they believe Keef still has it.
However, the Suns are also looking at Ryan Anderson. On the surface, Anderson is the better player: he's more experienced and he's played with a defensive center before (in Dwight Howard) so he can work alongside Tyson Chandler before.
While those are valid points but Anderson will be an unrestricted free agent next season and as CBS points out, possibly a max player. While that may sound improbable from a basketball standpoint, CBS noted that "in today's game, a four who can shoot like Anderson is in serious demand."
There are more than ten teams who have saved cap space for Kevin Durant, Al Horford among others will look to spend on anyone after they lose out. The Suns may end up empty handed if they take a risk on Anderson. With Jones, they still have the option to match the offer-and it's lower than what Anderson may command.
