NBA Trade Deadline: Are The Phoenix Suns Better?
By Tony Fischer
It is hard to know what to make of the trades Phoenix Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough pulled off before the trade deadline. On one hand he did the best he could, considering that Goran Dragic’s demands forced him to deal. On the other hand the trades he made did nothing to address the teams issues of imbalance and interior defense.
Live Feed
Sir Charles In Charge
The Suns added three guards, one combo guard, and a small forward and did nothing to solve the problem down low.
The acquisition of Brandon Knight was solid and he should fit in nicely next to Eric Bledsoe. But Knight isn’t much better than Isaiah Thomas and he is a restricted free agent in 2015. In order to stay on track the Suns are going to have to make him an offseason priority.
The rest of the players acquired Kendall Marshall, John Salmons, Danny Granger and Marcus Thornton are a collection of role players and expiring contracts. Not the type of players a team making a run at the playoffs would trade for.
Todays deadline deals also leave a gaping hole in the front court. The departure of Mile Plumlee leaves the Suns dangerously short-handed up front, especially considering Alex Len’s ankle problems as of late. If Alex Len goes down for an extended period of time the Suns will have to depend on Brandan Wright down the stretch. If that thought doesn’t scare you it should.
What the days catch lacked in players it had in draft picks. The Suns got three additional number one picks, two from Miami and one from Boston (CLE pick). The exact position and years of the picks are not solidified yet but they will certainly help the Suns reload on the fly.
So are the Phoenix Suns better after todays trade deadline? Do they have the personnel needed to make a run in the playoffs? Or did they hedge their playoff bet by collecting expiring contracts and draft picks? On thing is certain, it will be an interesting stretch run this season.