What Each Newly Traded Player Brings to Phoenix Suns
The Deandre Ayton era is over in Phoenix.
The top pick in the 2018 NBA Draft is officially departing the Phoenix Suns after five uneven seasons in the Valley. Also departing is 2023 second-round pick Toumani Camara in the three-team deal that finally saw Damian Lillard's time in Portland come to a conclusion.
The Suns are receiving Milwaukee's Grayson Allen along with Portland's Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson. Each player either has potential to be reach new heights or is a clear fit with the current version of this squad.
Jusuf Nurkic
Jusuf Nurkic immediately slides into the Phoenix Suns' starting center spot.
The 7-footer is entering his 11th season in the NBA and is departing Portland after six seasons. The "Bosnian Beast" has long been lauded by NBA circles as possessing strong court vision, passing skills, and being a skilled post player. Unfortunately, Nurkic hasn't completely returned to past form since a compound fracture of his left tibia and fibula in March 2019.
Despite some physical handicaps that may be in place now, Nurkic is still a strong passer, a willing screener, and isn't afraid to step up at the rim defensively despite those potential limitations. Nurkic also shot 36% from three-point range last season, displaying an ability to stretch the floor some.
This is a classic case of the fit>talent train of thought among NBA executives, as Ayton possesses better talent, though Nurkic is clearly a better fit for the vision the Suns organization has for the upcoming season.
Expect the center to play somewhere between 20-25 minutes per game this year and to be a solid fit on a very talented team.
Nassir Little
Nassir Little is a young wing piece for the Phoenix Suns to potentially develop for the future.
Nassir Little was once considered one of the five best players in his recruiting class before committing to North Carolina in 2018. There were also many sites and publications that had Little mocked as a top-five pick in the 2019 draft. Unfortunately, Little had a rough freshman season for the Tar Heels and was picked 25th overall by Portland in 2019.
The talented wing has only played in 192 games across four seasons, but has displayed a strong motor on both sides of the ball along with flashing multiple NBA-level skills.
Still only 23 years old, there's certainly still potential in the forward's game that can be untapped. It will be interesting to see if Little can crack the rotation and finally have a chance to shine in a good situation, much like new Suns forward and potential starter Keita Bates-Diop.
Grayson Allen
Will Grayson Allen thrive in his new role with the Phoenix Suns?
Grayson Allen has been a prominent figure in basketball for some time, mostly for negative reasons. Allen was a McDonald's All-American in 2014, won a national title with the Duke Blue Devils the following year, and had multiple incidents of tripping opposing players, drawing ire from basketball fans everywhere.
Allen was the 21st pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, was moved to Memphis a year later before landing with Milwaukee in 2021. The guard has become a sharpshooter in the league, but doesn't provide much else.
Allen hopes to crack the rotation as a talented player, but competing for minutes with Eric Gordon, Damion Lee, and others will be tough for the former Bucks piece.
Keon Johnson
Keon Johnson is only 21 - can he find a new home with the
Keon Johnson is another former five-star recruit who played one year for the Tennessee Volunteers. The guard went into the 2021 draft after one year at UT and was fairly divisive among the scouting community.
Johnson was picked 21st by the New York Knicks, but got redirected to the Los Angeles Clippers. After fifteen games and less than year with the Clippers, he was once again moved in the trade that landed L.A. Norman Powell.
The combo guard has only played 77 games across three seasons, and has certainly shown the least of anyone acquired by Phoenix. However, the idea of a player with his measurables only being 21 years old can't be ignored. Maybe the player joining a third team in three seasons just needed the right situation to grow as a player.
There isn't a clear path for Johnson contributing this season, but it's likely worth hanging onto him for the foreseeable future.
