Bleacher Report Lists Three Dream Trade Targets for Suns
Bleacher Report has curated yet another list that could be of interest to Phoenix Suns fans: three dream trade targets for the franchise ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February.
The author of the piece - Zach Buckley - appears to believe the Suns are in dire need of a pass-first point guard upgrade by the time the deadline hits.
The reasoning behind the Suns potentially having a bevy of point guards on the list - according to Buckley - is straightforward.
"A month-plus into the season, the Suns are still awaiting the debut of their Kevin Durant-Devin Booker-Bradley Beal trio. That's made it tough to make any big-picture assessments about this team, starting with whether this group actually needs a pass-first point guard to bring it together," said Buckley.
The three players Buckley sees as top targets for Phoenix:
1. T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers
2. Delon Wright, Washington Wizards
3. Dennis Smith Jr., Brooklyn Nets
Phoenix has reportedly had interest in McConnell for quite some time, and he would bring more than three-to-one assist to turnover ratio for his career to the table, along with intelligence and grit to the defensive side of the ball.
He does have some limitations, however. A poor three-point shot and being undersized bring his value down but he could be seen as an Alex Caruso-lite, while coming with a much cheaper price tag.
Delon Wright is a member of the clearly rebuilding Washington Wizards squad and his price tag on a trade would likely not be very high, either.
What Wright lacks in the ability as a floor general relative to McConnell, he makes up for with his steady jumper, more ideal size, and defensive versatility.
Dennis Smith Jr. would likely cost the least, and he'd bring a jolt of athleticism/tenacious defense to the table, but he simply just isn't a great offensive weapon.
A potential Smith acquisition would be nothing more than a depth piece, as Smith is virtually a worse Jordan Goodwin at this stage.
The Suns are fairly asset-strapped going into trade season, so it will be interesting to keep an eye on what kind of moves general manager James Jones can/will make- if he sees the need for any potential roster upgrades.
