The Phoenix Suns are a revelation.
In a year when they were an absolute punchline coming into the season, banking on a culture change under new coach Jordan Ott with a mishmashed roster built by the trade and waiver of bigger names, Phoenix has thrived. They're one of the most connected teams in the league and have competed at maybe the highest level that can be expected with their talent on paper.
But with the playoffs firmly within sight, how can the Suns take a further step forward?
Here’s a look at five trades that would move the Suns from being a good story to a championship contender.
Santi Aldama, PF, Memphis Grizzlies
Phoenix has had interest in power forwards, according to multiple sources, and Aldama makes a lot of sense as a target.
Aldama can both space the floor, playmake, and play next to Mark Williams and Khaman Maluach if he develops.
Pure power forwards would cramp their spacing. Aldama provides versatility in a smart way, and with Memphis clearly rebuilding, Phoenix can probably acquire him even with their limited assets. They have young players like the kind Memphis will be looking to develop.
Aldama is a perfect target for a buy-low opportunity to make a playoff run.
Draymond Green, PF, Golden State Warriors
Hear me out. The Warriors are desperate for assets and looking for anything to sweeten the pot for the Bucks in exchange for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Green is volatile, and many situations he would go to when separated from Stephen Curry could result in a toxic outcome.
Phoenix, though, has potential. Yes, he and Dillon Brooks would hilariously clash. But the Suns have good coaching, good culture. They have a shooter star guard who can also playmake and operate off Green. They have athleticism. They have shooting. They have the things that Green needs to thrive.
Your culture has to be strong to withstand the F-5-force winds that accompany Green’s intensity, but Phoenix has shown a real connection. Making the deal happen would require sacrifice, but putting him with the young players to set an example and the veterans to provide a rock could strike the right balance and push the Suns to a higher climb than anyone thought possible.
Onyeka Okongwu, C, Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks are clearly searching for a long-term answer at center. Kristaps Porzingis’ health simply isn’t in a place it can be trusted.
Atlanta has consistently flirted with trusting Okongwu, even giving him an extension and a brief starting role. But ultimately it’s clear he hasn’t established himself as the player they want him to be.
So, this is a great opportunity to sneak in and grab the kind of versatile player that fits with their core. Okongwu’s cap hit is only $15 million, so the Suns can move Grayson Allen one-for-one, free up more time for players like Jordan Goodwin, and add a versatile forward who can space the floor and also play backup five, allowing them to develop Maluach slowly and move on from Nic Richards.
Okongwu has a great combination of athleticism and youth while also now possessing veteran savvy at age 25. This could be a win for both teams.
Ousmane Dieng, PF, Oklahoma City Thunder
OK, Dieng isn’t going to be the difference in a title or not for the Suns, but he is worth a look. He’s 22, with good per-36 splits and great on-off numbers for the best team in the league. The reality is if Sam Presti thought he was good enough to give a roster spot to, he’s probably worth considering, even if they’re ready to move on.
Dieng is 6-foot-9 and shooting 38 percent from 3-point range this season. He’s raw, but so is Maluach, and the Suns have the ability to guide that development. Putting Dieng into a system with Oso Ighodaro means that Phoenix has redundancy with a slight variation on theme in their lineups, and that helps.
Coby White, PG, Chicago Bulls
Now for something completely different. The Suns are running without a real point guard, using Jalen Green and Devin Booker (who have both been healthy at the same time this season for about 45 seconds) in tandem. Adding White means adding a guard who can pick up the scoring slack when one or both are out with injury.
White’s a buy-low candidate being moved for money purposes, and while keeping him would be expensive and likely mean the Suns have to make choices they’d rather not this summer, especially given their injury problems with Booker and Green obscuring a view of just what this team is, White’s still an excellent fit as a firebug scorer who can also run an offense.
It’s not the cleanest fit, but it could be a lot of fun next to Collin Gillespie and their other bigs.