The Phoenix Suns are trying to trade Isaiah Thomas and not Goran Dragic, according to ESPN's Marc Stein. Dragic has been involved in trade rumors for a while now, as he will become an unrestricted free agent after the season and the Suns have point guard depth with Eric Bledsoe and Thomas in the roster. Previous reports indicated the Suns were looking for at least one first round draft pick in return for Dragic.
NBA trade rumors 2015 roundup: Suns looking to trade Isaiah Thomas, keep Goran Dragic
The Suns prefer to trade Isaiah Thomas and keep Goran Dragic while Thomas Robinson could get traded for the third time while still on a rookie contract.
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Now it appears Thomas is the player the Suns really want to deal, even if Phoenix signed him this past offseason.
Thomas is one of the league's premier sixth men, averaging 15.2 points and 3.7 assists this season in only 25 minutes a game. He's not on Dragic's level as a player but he could help many teams with his scoring and playmaking. The knock on Thomas -- and the reported reasons why the Kings let him go -- is that he tends to dominate the ball. Thomas uses over a quarter of all available possessions when he's on the court, ranking just above All-Stars Kyle Lowry and Jeff Teague. With Dragic and Bledsoe also requiring touches to be effective, the fit is not ideal in Phoenix.
There are plenty of teams who would be happy to have Thomas considering his production and cap-friendly contract that decreases as the years go by but with the point guard position so well-stocked with talent around the league it’s hard to see anyone looking to make him their starter. The return the Suns would get for him is unlikely to match what Dragic might command and without a draft pick exchanging hands, they would be wise to keep Thomas until the offseason in case Dragic leaves in free agency, opening up a minutes at guard.
Dragic's impending free agency is key. It might even affect Thomas' trade value as teams with a need at guard could decide to make a go at the Slovenian point guard in the offseason instead of tying up their cap space now. The Lakers and Rockets make sense as traded destinations for Thomas but could decide to wait. The Suns are doing their due diligence by exploring all trade scenarios ans should be one of the main players at the Feb. 19 deadline.
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Thomas Robinson, Will Barton think they could be traded
The Portland Trail Blazers are "aggressively exploring the trade landscape" and Barton and Robinson could be the ones getting moved if a trade materializes, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Before the All-Star break Robinson and Barton said goodbye to each other in a somber tone, with Barton saying "If I don't see you after the break, it's been real." The two young players have not been a fixture of the rotation and if the Blazers are in fact looking for trades, their fears could be warranted.
Robinson is Portland’s best trade chip aside from the starters as his contract is expiring this offseason, making him a restricted free agent. A team could audition him for the rest of the season and have the opportunity to match any offer he receives or simply let him walk and acquire cap space. The former fifth overall pick is still 23 years old and while he will never be a star he could still blossom into a quality big man with time.
Barton doesn’t have the same pedigree as Robinson -- he was drafted in the second round -- and his contract is too small for him to be considered the centerpiece of any deal but he could be a good throw in to make salaries match. He’s 24 years old and has good athleticism and size for a shooting guard but has never achieved consistency, which has cost him his chance to carve out a role for himself in Portland.
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