The Phoenix Suns must take all necessary measures to escape the situation they find themselves in.
The hands-on approach taken by new owner Mat Ishbia might have caused them to stumble and regress years.
While adding Bradley Beal to the mix seemed like a massive mistake from the start, trading for Kevin Durant was a move that every general manager in the NBA would have made.
It might have been even worse than anticipated, considering how they performed during the offseason.
In light of this, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the organization will be extremely aggressive in trade talks leading up to the NBA Draft (via Evan Sidery).
The Suns are expected to be “very, very aggressive” on the trade market leading up to draft night, per @ShamsCharania on @PatMcAfeeShow.
Phoenix has two first-round picks that become trade-eligible on June 26: No. 22 overall + 2031 1st.
Keep an eye on Nassir Little, who makes… pic.twitter.com/Tlfr3GY2wV
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 14, 2024
Nassir Little, who is set to earn $6.7 million in the upcoming season, is a player to watch, according to Charania, who recently appeared on The Pat McAfee Show. He could be paired with the No. 22 pick and a 2031 first-round pick, which becomes trade-eligible on June 26.
The Suns’ ability to obtain decent value in return is, however, severely hampered by their inability to retain more salary than they send out in a deal.
Salary cap-wise, the Suns are in a difficult position, and things won’t get any easier.
Beal’s history of ailments, no-trade clause, and high salary make it nearly impossible to find a trade partner.
Since he is currently their only valuable moveable asset, transferring Kevin Durant would be an admission of failure, something a new owner is unlikely to do after less than two years in office.
