NBA Trade Deadline: 5 trades Phoenix Suns need to make
By Tom West
Alec Burks
Brandon Knight was showing off his ability on a level we hadn’t seen before until he was injured this season. From his first career triple-double to multiple 30-point games, he demonstrated his improved shooting and ability to drive to the rim. He’s not someone the Suns will be desperate to move (the blindingly obvious priority is Morris), although Knight could be a better fit in the starting lineup.
He’s a run-and-gun type player, and likes to have the ball in his hands when he wants to take control of a game or create his own shot. Alongside a point guard like Eric Bledsoe, though, the Suns don’t necessarily need two ball-dominant guards in their backcourt at the same time.
Besides matters of chemistry, the emergence of rookie Devin Booker has opened up the possibility for trading Knight. Booker has been playing incredibly well since joining the starters, and has such poise, confidence and efficiency for a player who’s barely 19. He’s the youngest player in the NBA, yet he’s averaged 16.2 points per game and 35 percent three-point shooting with ease since starting on December 28.
One possibility for the Suns is trading Knight to the Utah Jazz, a team who could use another player to spark their offense that only ranks 26th in points per game. In exchange for Knight, the Suns could ask for Alec Burks and one or two 2016 second round draft picks (the Jazz have three this season).
Burks is a slightly lesser version of what Knight has to offer — despite averaging 19 points per 36 minutes and shooting 38.7 percent from three. They’re both the kind of ideal sixth man type players that most teams would want to create instant offense off the bench. Although, with Burks, his mid-range game isn’t as reliable and he isn’t quite as efficient when finishing at the rim.
For the Jazz, they get an upgrade with Knight who can also run the point, a position where Utah lack much talent or depth, even when Dante Exum returns. For the Suns, they get a new productive shooting guard who won’t detract from Bledsoe and can easily fit in as a sixth man if Booker takes the full-time starting spot next season. As for the draft picks (or pick, depending on what is agreed upon), the Suns get another chance to add some youth and start heading in a better direction.
Going forward, this trade helps both teams. Now, it’s just a short matter of time until we see how the NBA trade deadline plays out for the Suns.