The Phoenix Suns have had a very good offseason considering the restrictions placed on their roster with a lack of future draft flexibility and the NBA’s new salary cap rules. The Suns had minimal space but added the best perimeter defender in the 2024 Draft with Ryan Dunn while landing Tyus Jones in free agency on a tremendous discount, as the point guard looks to prove his value ahead of the 2025 free agency. Despite these moves, they need more fine-tuning to break into the top of the West.
The Brooklyn Nets waved the white flag for the 24-25 season the moment they traded multiple future Suns picks to the Houston Rockets to get their 2025 first-round pick back in their own control. Now, the Nets look destined for a season being able to tank with their picks in their control. Mikal Bridges has left the franchise already, and another February 2023 addition might need to be sent to the Suns as well.
Trade Details
Phoenix Suns Receive: Dorian Finney-Smith, Day’Ron Sharpe
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Jusuf Nurkic, Oso Ighadaro, 2031 Second-Round Pick (DEN)
Finney-Smith was traded to the Nets in the Kyrie Irving trade, with the Mavericks falling from No. 4 in the West to No. 11 without his defensive presence in the frontcourt. He’s not been as effective on the losing Nets, but he could revitalize his career and the Suns frontcourt with his defensive ability, while Day’Ron Sharpe is a high-potential young big. Losing Jusuf Nurkic will not be easy, but will be worth it.
The Suns Commit To Building A Well-Round Roster
The Suns can’t go all the way in one direction like they did last season. They invested in offense to carry them forward, but this season needs to be different. Ryan Dunn can’t be their only major defensive reinforcement if they hope to compete in the West against teams like the Mavericks and Thunder with their guard-led offenses. Especially with Nurkic’s inability to guard the perimeter, the Suns have to cut their losses on him to acquire an upgrade like Finney-Smith.
With the addition of Tyus Jones, the Suns don’t need his post-playmaking as they’ll run lineups with a traditional point guard alongside the much-improving distributor Devin Booker. Sharpe averaged 6.8 points and 6.4 rebounds last season, providing a complementary role-playing big man who will set screens, catch lobs, grab rebounds, and protect the rim, which is all the Suns need their big man to do.
Finney-Smith averaged 8.5 points and 4.7 rebounds last season but due to the Nets situation not being ideal for him. He’s not an offense-heavy player but can be a lights-out shooter in open space. He thrived in that role in Dallas, but the Nets haven’t been good enough for teams to rotate off Finney-Smith to double someone else. The Suns generate open looks as a routine, which Grayson Allen’s explosion in three-pointers last season shows.
Dorian would be a great defensive option behind Kevin Durant as the team will hope to conserve him for the Playoffs. Finney-Smith can be a reliable 82-game defensive option, a great leader, and a respected veteran. Along with Sharpe’s untapped potential, the Suns achieve the ideal build of superstar, veteran, and young talent as a contender.
The Nets Delve Deeper Into Asset Management
The Nets have made multiple moves this summer to show that they’re finally concerning themselves with acquiring future assets while they tank for a generational prospect to fall into their laps in the 2025 NBA Draft. They double-down on tanking this season by finally trading Finney-Smith, who has generated interest around the NBA from the second the Mavs traded him to the Nets. It’s time they move on from the forward instead of letting his value deteriorate further.
Nurkic averaged 10.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists last season, providing solid center play but proving to be an offensive redundancy for the Suns. The Suns need a workman center who’ll do the dirty work, provide energy, and defend. Nurkic has flashes where he can do all three but it’s hard to expect that consistently. He’s also not as mobile as the kind of center the Suns could maximize with their fast-moving offense.
The Nets could flip Nurkic for assets to teams looking for more dynamic center play or keep him around as a veteran for their tanking season. He could have a mentorship role to Nicolas Claxton, but the presence of both might overcrowd the team’s rotation so trading him away would be ideal.
Oso Ighadaro is an intriguing prospect, coming off a college season where he averaged 11.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks. He can be a multi-positional defender and could provide long-term value for the Nets.
A Win-Now Proposal With Two Happy Partners
This deal brings enough to the table for both sides. The Nets are clearly looking to bottom out and tank for the 2025 NBA Draft while the Suns need all the winning players they can get. Finney-Smith could be a major contributor for the Suns as a versatile defender who can adequately stretch the floor when required with Sharpe being the perfect hustle center who’ll push the pace for the team while giving them defensive stability.
The potential for Ighadaro is high, provided the Nets can extract it from the second-round pick. Nurkic is arguably the best player in the deal, giving the franchise an avenue to accumulate other future assets from a potential Nurkic trade. Regardless, they won’t be in a rush to make any major moves given the low-stakes nature of the season, outside maximizing lottery odds for the 2025 Draft.
This could be a win-win, provided the Nets come off the unrealistic price they’ve been wanting for Smith in trades for the last two years. With DFS also showing regression, this might be the perfect time to move off him for the Nets.
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