6 Clear Winners From Suns' NBA Trade Deadline

The Phoenix Suns made one move, but there's far more winners from the domino effects after.

Dec 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns center Khaman Maluach (10) against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The NBA's trade deadline has come and gone, and as expected the Phoenix Suns were minor (but active) participants.

The Suns traded center Nick Richards and forward Nigel Hayes-Davis in a three-team trade that included the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls.

It was a move that got Phoenix under the luxury tax line, which was a major win for the organization while also keeping themselves competitive without really impacting their rotations.

It was a small move that could potentially have a big impact as we enter the second half of the regular season.

Six clear winners from Phoenix's move at the trade deadline:

Mat Ishbia's Wallet Now/Phoenix's Future

Jan 29, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia against the Detroit Pistons in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Suns cleared the needed $300k to get themselves out of the luxury tax, and if Phoenix is able to stay out of it next season, they'll have their repeater clock reset.

Doing so this year does save owner Mat Ishbia some dough in his wallet, though spending has never been a problem. The win here resides in what lies ahead.

The move more so will look to give the Suns more freedom and flexibility now that they'll be under the luxury tax entering next year, which could be big for a Phoenix team potentially on the brink of being contenders out West.

Suns' Top 2 Picks

Dec 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns center Khaman Maluach (10) against the Los Angeles Lakers at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Admittedly so, Richards and Hayes-Davis didn't occupy close to meaningful minutes for the Suns — which made it easy to swap them for practically whoever to get under the tax.

However, Phoenix wouldn't have pulled the trigger on a move if they weren't confident in that depth being replaced. The Suns' deadline move opens the door for guys such as Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming.

Maluach and Fleming, respectively, still won't crack large rotational minutes. Hayes-Davis and Richards averaged under six minutes as a pair in the month of January.

Still, Phoenix believes in the respective rookie duo to at least hit the next step in their NBA progression, and that's big.

Maluach, a top ten pick, has been buried in the Suns' center rotation this season but has dominated NBA G League activity. With Richards out of the picture, he slides into the third center role behind Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro.

Fleming has averaged 6.5 minutes a game and has flashed in moments the athletic prowess that made him a highly coveted second-round pick that Phoenix had to move up for in the draft. Now that Hayes-Davis is out of the picture, Fleming will get just a little more run to continue that. If Ott wants athleticism on the wing, Fleming could soon be his guy.

Although it wasn't major — it was still a vote of confidence for Fleming/Maluach.

Jamaree Bouyea

Jan 30, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jamaree Bouyea (17) against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Bouyea, a backup guard, wasn't a direct beneficiary of the trade with a forward and center moving out of the way — though he's expected to see a really nice upgrade in terms of his contract.

Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro believes Bouyea will have his two-way contract converted to a standard NBA deal as a result of Phoenix's moves.

This trade by the Suns will almost certainly create a spot for Jamaree Bouyea in the near future.

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) February 5, 2026

Bouyea has been a great story in Phoenix, as the once overlooked guard has turned himself into a legitimate scoring option off the bench if Ott needs a spark plug.

If this pans out as expected, this is a well-deserved full-time deal for Bouyea.

Rumored Preseason Trade Pieces

Nov 2, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1), forward Ryan Dunn (0), Coach Jordan Ott, guard Grayson Allen (8), forward Royce O'Neale (00) and center Mark Williams (15) celebrate during a time-out in the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

Prior to the season, names such as Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale were typically involved in mock trades as potential trade pieces.

Yet slowly but surely each player not only carved a role in Ott's system — they also contributed to the Suns' early and shocking success. While Allen mostly has shown the more noticeable improvement in terms of driving to the rim and making hustle plays, O'Neale has drilled three-point shots at a near-career high.

Ahead of the trade deadline, it was assumed both players were safe, though the possibility of either being involved in a larger trade still remained up until the deadline's final hours.

Now, they're officially safe through the rest of the season. Considering the chatter around both Allen and O'Neale entering the regular season, it's fair to say they're winners from this too.