What Each New Suns Addition Brings to the Table
It was the week everyone was hoping for in Phoenix. The Suns made a big splash and acquired superstar Kevin Durant. In the process, they also picked up key role players that look to recharge a Suns bench that saw way more minutes than anyone was expecting at the beginning of the year.
Here is how each will help benefit the team going forward.
Kevin Durant
The Suns' offensive questions were silenced when they acquired the 13-time All-Star and four-time scoring champion. He will create scoring opportunities not only for himself but everyone else on the floor.
His trade, along with TJ Warren who’ll be discussed below, is what defined what Phoenix was looking for in the trade market the rest of the way. This still though without question does make Phoenix the favorite in the Western Conference.
T.J. Warren
Phoenix needed something back along with Durant to help account for losing two of their starting forwards and former Sun T.J. Warren was the chosen one. Maybe this wasn't that exciting of a move but still could be valuable down the stretch and has starting experience in a pinch. Maybe if Phoenix is lucky, bubble Warren will come out and make some noise this postseason.
Darius Bazley
Who doesn’t like a good project? Currently, in his third season, Bazley was selected 23rd overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2019 NBA draft before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies and then flipped to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Only 22-years-old Bazley adds depth at the power forward position and will have plenty to learn from what is now a veteran-heavy roster.
Terrence Ross
This will go down as the most valuable under-the-radar move the Suns made this deadline. Ross’ contract with the Orlando Magic was bought out and after looking like he would head to the Mavericks, Suns general manager James Jones swayed Ross to Phoenix. He is another guy who can lead the Suns' bench and is shooting 38% from three this year.
For Jones, these guys will add a new dimension to the team as a whole.
“Size, length, and athleticism. We've known going into the season that we're a small team. Chris [Paul] will hopefully be the smallest guy on the floor at all times, and so we needed some length/size to combat that.” Jones said.
“But with those guys Terrence and TJ, they're proven NBA players and they're guys who we have no doubt will be able to contribute big minutes and give us big games in the postseason.”
Durant looks to make his first start with Phoenix late next week and with that, only then will anyone know just how smoothly this era in Phoenix will go.
