The Phoenix Suns could be in a hard spot this summer if they are a first-round exit this season. With the lack of assets and high payroll, the Suns may be forced to trade one of their three stars to build a coherent contender.
Bill Simmons suggested that Devin Booker be the one to be moved for a win-now package for the Suns, alongside acquiring some major draft capital.
Trade Details
Suns Receive: C.J. McCollum, Trey Murphy III, Three First-Round Picks
Pelicans Receive: Devin Booker
“What if Ishbia and his inner circle are like, ‘Let’s call New Orleans.’ Griffin picks up and he says, ‘CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy, and throw us two future picks, and you can have Booker.'”
https://twitter.com/NBABeyondCourt/status/1783218738235650135
There is no conceivable situation where the Suns even consider a trade like that. Firstly, they’re likelier to trade Kevin Durant before they trade Booker because of his status as a homegrown star in Phoenix. Booker stuck with the Suns when they were a laughing stock in the NBA and transformed them into a contender before Durant or Bradley Beal got here.
Booker is the biggest piece of the franchise, and they would not trade it for such a disappointing package. However, Simmons does have the right idea in naming the Pelicans as a possible team with the assets to get a player of Booker’s caliber.
Unfortunately, an over-the-hill CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III aren’t enough, especially when only two picks are coming included. Murphy is a phenomenal prospect, but he isn’t nearly enough of a needle-mover in a deal like this.
What Assets Would The Suns Need In A Devin Booker Trade?
I want to reiterate that Devin Booker likely won’t even be considered to be available for a trade if the Suns decide to make major changes in the summer. He averaged 27.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists, carrying the load of the team while being the face of the franchise for nearly a decade. There’s no reason they try to build a contender without him.
But as a thought experiment, what would the Suns want if they made the baffling decision to build around Durant and Beal by trading the high-value Booker for the biggest haul possible? The Pelicans would likely be one of the major teams involved in those conversations. Their top two stars would be off the table, but their incredibly talented young depth could be fascinating.
McCollum would be required to make the money in a deal like this work, but the Suns don’t have a reason to agree to this deal unless five to six first-round picks are involved to replenish their asset capital. The Pelicans still have two extra picks from the Bucks and one pick from the Lakers, but they also could reduce the pick cost by just throwing in Herbert Jones with the two players and keeping the pick cost at two.
The Pelicans don’t have any reason to do that, so neither team would be able to agree upon a price in the likeliest outcome. Though, if there was a team that could target any star player they want with interesting trade packages, it’s the Pelicans.
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