First-year Suns general manager Ryan McDonough approaches his job with an open mind. That's why it was not surprising to hear him say publicly that the Phoenix Suns would consider dealing draft picks to improve their team this year, when the team was supposed to be on the rebuilding track.
Phoenix Suns trade rumors: Winning now and later
The Suns have draft picks, cap space and a big contract at their disposal. Whatever they do to win now, they will also be careful about preparing themselves for the future.
Christian Petersen
More from our team sites
More from our team sites
Phoenix finds itself 30-21 coming out of the All-Star break and clinging to seventh place in the Western Conference standings. It’s hard to determine how good the Suns are at present. They have beaten Portland and Indiana multiple times but haven’t been able to surmount the hump against powers like Miami and Oklahoma City. Eric Bledsoe is on the mend from knee surgery, but is still hopeful to come back before the season ends.
The Suns have options at the trade deadline, and McDonough is one of the most active general managers leading up to it.
The Okafor contract and assets
The most interesting asset owned by Phoenix is the $14.5 million expiring contract owed to center Emeka Okafor. A neck injury has the big man out for the year, but his contract is enticing because it is 80 percent covered by insurance for the rest of the year.
The Suns traded Marcin Gortat, Kendall Marshall, Shannon Brown and Malcolm Lee to the Washington Wizards for Okafor's contract and a top-12 protected pick in 2014, and the return gives Phoenix the ability to trade for a star if they can find the right deal.
That trade, and the $5.6 million in available cap space this season, is the reason why the franchise has the ability to deal straight up for Pau Gasol or Zach Randolph, two rumored interests.
Additionally, Phoenix has up to four first-round draft picks in the loaded 2014 draft, and McDonough has been open about his willingness to use those picks in a trade this season.
The Suns are likely to receive the Wizards' pick, as well as a top 14 protected pick from the Indiana Pacers earned from the Luis Scola trade this summer. Phoenix has its own first-round pick and could have a top 13 protected first-round pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves resulting from a three-team sign-and-trade that swapped Robin Lopez for Wes Johnson two summers ago.
Bookmark This
An inside-out attack
The Suns at present are known as the NBA's best fast-break team and one that can score in a flurry behind the three-point stripe. The team still lacks a true inside presene, however, though Channing Frye's return from a heart ailment has helped and second-year center Miles Plumlee is emerging rim-rolling threat at center.
Fourth overall pick Alex Len is strength and experience away from giving Jeff Hornacek the ability to run the offense out of the post. This brings us to Gasol and Randolph. The Memphis Grizzlies reportedly told Phoenix that they wouldn't trade Randolph, according to USA Today, and the Gasol talks have gone cold because Phoenix is reportedly worried about his health, but the rumors shed a bright light on what Phoenix is looking to improve upon.
Even Boston Celtics forward Brandon Bass has popped up as a target for Phoenix, according to the Sporting News. To make a run this year, even a relatively minor acquisition like Bass could make a difference, but it all comes down to what Phoenix is willing to give up.
It’s still a rebuild
Phoenix wants to improve to make a postseason run, that much is clear. It also has to strike a balance between pushing for playoff wins this year and protecting the team’s long-term rebuilding process. The team is still a work-in-progress despite the surprising number of wins.
Take the Gasol trade rumors as an example. If the forward were traded at the price of Okafor’s contract and a first-round pick, that deal might turn out to be a first-round pick for a 31-game rental.
How much salary cap space should Phoenix spend if it expects to match any offer for Bledsoe, a restricted free agent who could be pushing max money, this summer? What if the Suns want to chase after Rudy Gay, who can opt out of his current deal with the Sacramento Kings this season? And what if they want to hold off in spending until the much-anticipated free agent class of 2015?
There are a lot of options for McDonough and his team in the immediate future, but in making a decision to improve the 2013-14 roster, the Suns won’t forget about flexibility beyond this season.
See More:
