Best Trade Packages for Phoenix Suns to Fix Point-Guard Logjam
Something's gotta give in the desert.
The Phoenix Suns aren't exactly on pace to match last year's 48-win season—one that left them excruciatingly close to the playoffs in the tough Western Conference—and their plan to use a three-headed monster at point guard hasn't exactly worked out. Not only are they rarely going with the unorthodox lineup that features Isaiah Thomas, Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic on the court simultaneously, but even the dual-PG sets haven't worked out too well.
Now, there's some brewing unhappiness.
Thomas particularly doesn't sound too pleased that he's been forced into a much smaller role than the one he enjoyed with the Sacramento Kings in 2013-14, even if he maintains that it's only losing making him upset.
"My family loves it [in Phoenix]. So if they're happy, I'm happy," he told Paul Coro of AZCentral.com. "Like I said, we're losing now. And, no, I'm not OK with the situation right now because we are on a six-game losing streak. I'm not OK with it."
That's not exactly a ringing endorsement. And though the Suns got off the schneid with a Wednesday night victory over the Charlotte Hornets, they're still in desperate need of some changes.
Where better to look for trade bait than in the over-crowded backcourt?
In order to determine the best move for the organization, let's first identify the ideal package the Suns could realistically receive for each of their three standout point guards. After that, we can figure out which move stands out as the premier course of action.
Technically, nothing has to happen in Phoenix. This squad could play out the season, flounder away in the back end of the lottery and hope for improvements next year. But if the Suns hope to keep pace with the surging Oklahoma City Thunder and get out of the lottery in 2014-15, they seriously need to consider making a big change.
The Goran Dragic Move
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Phoenix Suns Get: Clint Capela, Terrence Jones, 2015 first-round pick (from New Orleans Pelicans)
Houston Rockets Get: Goran Dragic (using trade exception)
Unfortunately for the Phoenix Suns, trading their best point guard may actually net them the worst return. After all, Goran Dragic only has the rest of the 2014-15 season left on his current contract before his player option comes into effect, and then he'll likely turn it down and hit the free-agency pool as a highly coveted commodity. There's no guarantee he stays wherever he goes in a trade, and that lowers the level of players the Suns can get back for him.
Dragic was once thinking about opting out just to re-sign with Phoenix on a long-term deal, but that's no longer the case, per Sean Deveney of SportingNews.com:
"In September, Suns point guard Goran Dragic told a reporter during the FIBA World Cup that it was his intention to opt out of the final year of his contract this summer and become a free agent — but that he would only do so with the intention of quickly re-signing with Phoenix.
While that might have been the idea at that time, that’s not the case now, as Dragic will have an 'open' free agency, league sources told Sporting News. When Dragic opts out and becomes a free agent next July, he will be a sought-after commodity, and while Phoenix would get the first hearing, Dragic will have options.
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Why not jump the gun and trade him to the Houston Rockets, who Deveney claims are already planning to recruit him during the summer?
He's already found some success in Houston earlier in his career, and he'd be able to form quite the dynamic tandem with James Harden, facing no risk of diminished playing time because Patrick Beverley can hit the open market next summer as well.
But Phoenix's return is even more intriguing.
Not only can they add another threat at power forward, dealing for Terrence Jones—who has suddenly found himself more expendable now that Donatas Motiejunas has looked so promising while he's been out with injury—but the Suns also get a promising prospect at center and a likely lottery pick, courtesy of the New Orleans Pelicans.
It's quite the haul for a point guard who may flee the desert at the end of the season.
The Eric Bledsoe Move
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Phoenix Suns Get: Trevor Booker, Alec Burks, Enes Kanter
Utah Jazz Get: Eric Bledsoe
If the Phoenix Suns are looking to get the largest possible return while trading one of their point guards, it's Eric Bledsoe who they have to deal. Even though there are still injury concerns encircling him, he's such a dynamic and promising player on both ends of the floor that most teams in need of a high-quality 1-guard would love to have him.
The Utah Jazz—who can't be thrilled with anything they've gotten from Trey Burke and should understand they'll need to wait a while for Dante Exum to develop into a workable floor general—are one of those teams. Plus, Bledsoe and Exum can certainly share the same backcourt down the road.
Due to the development of Rudy Gobert, Enes Kanter is more expendable than ever, and he'd be a solid fit for the Suns. Though he's not the rim-protecting presence they'd love to have in the paint—NBA.com's SportVU data shows that he's "holding" the opposition to 58.6 percent shooting on 5.6 attempts per game—he's an offensive threat and a capable big body, something that's been missing in Phoenix for a little while.
The current crop of centers just isn't cutting it.
According to 82games.com, Phoenix has three positions giving it positive net production, as determined by subtracting the player efficiency rating allowed to the opposition from the PER earned by the team at that spot in the lineup. The point guards lead the team (net PER of 4.2), but the shooting guards (2.1) and small forwards (1.6) have been positive contributors as well. Meanwhile, the power forwards are at minus-1.0, and the centers have a putrid net PER of minus-7.4.
See why upgrading there is necessary? The combination of Miles Plumlee and Alex Len just isn't getting the job done.
Of course, it also helps to receive a veteran power forward (Trevor Booker) and a promising shooting guard (Alec Burks) who can become the future of the position, making it less vital to re-sign Gerald Green when his contract expires.
The Isaiah Thomas Move
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Phoenix Suns Get: Caron Butler, Greg Monroe
Detroit Pistons Get: Shavlik Randolph, Isaiah Thomas, 2015 first-round pick
We're still playing off the Suns' dire need to upgrade at center.
Greg Monroe, much like Enes Kanter, isn't a rim-protecting stud. He's a bit better at defending the interior than his younger counterpart from Salt Lake City but not enough that he can single-handedly turn around Phoenix's fortunes in the paint.
Nonetheless, Monroe is just about the best big the Suns can get their hands on while dangling one of their point guards, taking advantage of the Detroit Pistons because he's become so disgruntled while playing out his qualifying offer. Monroe isn't going to stick around in Motor City past the 2014-15 season, so the Pistons might feel the need to get something rather than nothing for his services.
Shavlik Randolph (a salary throw-in), Isaiah Thomas and a first-round pick (one the Suns can afford to give up because they have more coming in from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers) definitely count as something.
With this trade, the Suns lose some of their bench strength, but they gain a legitimate rotation small forward in Caron Butler and massively upgrade the starting lineup. Though Jeff Hornacek would have to slow things down a bit in order to fully involve Monroe, a starting five of Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe, P.J. Tucker, Markieff Morris and Monroe sounds pretty amazing, especially with Gerald Green, Butler and Marcus Morris coming off the pine.
If the Suns are looking to win right now, it's hard to find a better move for them.
Impossible, even.
Which Is Best for Phoenix?
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It's not hard to figure this one out.
Any Goran Dragic trade, intriguing as the one presented may be, is ultimately foolish. Even if he's a flight risk, he's seemed rather content in Phoenix and only offers a return akin to pennies on the dollar. No team is going to win the Suns over with an offer, simply because he's not guaranteed to be with that squad for a lengthy period of time.
That leaves Isaiah Thomas and Eric Bledsoe as potential options.
Even though Greg Monroe is the best player involved in either of the two deals, the haul including Alec Burks and Enes Kanter is the most tempting. Both are young assets with undeniable potential, and the Suns wouldn't have to part ways with a first-round pick in order to land them.
However, that doesn't make the Bledsoe deal superior.
After all, we have to consider what Phoenix is giving up, and the incumbent guard is a much more attractive player than his diminutive counterpart. Especially because Jeff Hornacek likes playing with a dual-PG system, he needs two floor generals who are comfortable playing off the ball and guarding wing players. Thomas can't really do that as well as Bledsoe, if for no reason other than his height.
So while the Burks/Kanter haul may trump the Monroe deal, it's the latter that's more appealing because of the players the Suns would have to give up.
There aren't many bad options if Phoenix looks to revamp the roster—and does so smartly—but trading Thomas away is the best choice of all.
