The Phoenix Suns And Golden State Warriors Should Consider This Trade
On Thursday evening, the Phoenix Suns lost Game 6 of their second-round playoff series to the Denver Nuggets by a score of 125-100 on their home floor in Arizona.
With the loss, the series is now over, as the Nuggets will advance to the Western Conference Finals.
This is the second straight year the Suns have had their season end in a blowout on their home floor (in the second round).
The Suns acquired 13-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant in February (via the Brooklyn Nets), which makes the loss even more devastating.
They gave up significant assets in the deal, and Durant is already 34 years old.
That said, star point guard Chris Paul missed the final four games of the series with a groin injury while starting center Deandre Ayton was ruled out for Game 6 due to a rib injury.
Over the offseason, I believe the Suns should try to trade Ayton to the Golden State Warriors for Jordan Poole.
Why?
Ayton just finished his fifth season in the league (he was the first pick in the 2018 NBA Draft) and has three years left on a massive contract that will pay him in excess of $32 million per season.
While he has helped the franchise make the NBA Playoffs for three straight seasons, the fit has sometimes been challenging.
Meanwhile, Poole has had a tough start to the 2023 NBA Playoffs and has a significant contract extension kick in next season that is for four years, $128 million.
The former Michigan star plays behind Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, who make up arguably the best backcourt of all time.
While Curry and Thompson are both getting older, they are still playing at a high level and led the Warriors to the 2022 NBA Championship.
The Suns are in need of guard depth, as Paul is 38 years old and has a lengthy injury history.
Poole is only 23 years old and has played in all 94 games this season, so he is durable.
He could be Paul's backup for a season or potentially replace the future Hall of Famer.
On the other hand, the Warriors desperately need size (Ayton is 7'0").
No one on the roster is taller than 6'9", and they traded 2020 second-overall pick James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons during the season.
Poole and Ayton's salaries for next season are incredibly close, which would make a deal very easy to pull off.
It's something both teams should consider for the future of their rosters.
