The superteam experiment was a colossal failure for the Phoenix Suns. As a result, they parted ways with both Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant over the course of one summer to instead adopt the Oklahoma City Thunder model around Devin Booker.
The initial results are promising, at the very least. But the current makeup of the roster needs that extra punch to take it to the next level. One analyst believes that could come in the form of a secondary star in the backcourt for their franchise superstar.
Phoenix Suns Build a Dynamic Backcourt
As things currently stand, the Suns are locked into the seven-seed in a vaunted Western Conference, walking away with 45 wins on the season. When considering the number of injuries that they had to deal with, it is a testament to their depth and the work of new head coach Jordan Ott.
But the current iteration of the team has a certain ceiling, and they don’t have a ton of draft capital that is going to net them quality picks in the draft. As a result, they may have to take a few flyers here and there.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report believes one player they could afford to take a swing on as a high-risk, low-reward deal would be Ja Morant. Essentially, exchanging him with Jalen Green could give them a player who can, in theory, significantly raise their ceiling.
Phoenix Suns Receive:Â Ja Morant, Jaylen Wells
Memphis Grizzlies Receive:Â Jalen Green
“Morant and Dillon Brooks have reportedly maintained a good relationship over the years since the latter left Memphis. Running Morant as a true point guard (8.1 assists per game, fifth-highest in the NBA this season) allows the Suns to move Devin Booker back to shooting guard in a full-time role.”
However, the concerns with Morant are staggering. Apart from off-court issues, he has been injury-prone throughout his career. That limited him to just 20 games this season, during which he averaged 19.5 points on a woeful 41% from the field.
But the Suns’ investment would be in the potential. If he can regain his prior form, then the upside is tremendous. “With Royce O’Neale, Brooks, and Mark Williams completing the starting five, the Suns look extremely dangerous.”
And for the Grizzlies, Green is maybe the best deal they could get at this point for Morant, as they bring in a 24-year-old who fits their rebuilding timeline and gives them a potential franchise star to build around, while offloading a player whom they signed to a five-year deal worth $197,230,450.
“Green, 24, fits the timeline for a rebuilding Grizzlies team. Injuries disrupted the beginning of his season, although the athletic shooting guard did average 21.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals during the month of March.”
It remains to be seen if Phoenix will go back to trading for a star so soon after changing philosophies last summer. But with no draft picks involved and the ceiling on their current roster pretty apparent, this could be their way of at least trying to make a significant improvement.
