3 top Suns trade targets in 2024-25 season
12/29/2024 09:24 PM
The Phoenix Suns are off to a 15-16 start in their second season with the big three of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. With trade season in full swing, the Suns could be active in upgrading their roster.
Owner Mat Ishbia has been aggressive since taking over as the Suns owner. The acquisition of Beal hasn’t made the Suns a contender as the big three have struggled to stay on the court together.
Kevin Durant is putting together another All-Star campaign in his age 36 season. The former MVP is averaging 27.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from three.
Devin Booker is also playing well, averaging 25.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. The 28-year-old is shooting 43.9 percent from the floor and 34.5 percent from downtown.
Bradley Beal is having a solid season with counting stats, averaging 19 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. He is shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three. Beal and Durant have missed ten games, while Booker has missed five.
Phoenix must upgrade their roster around their big three if it wants to be a contender. With that said, here are the three top Suns trade targets in the 2024-25 season.
Heat’s Jimmy Butler
Miami Heat star forward Jimmy Butler has named the Suns as one of his preferred destinations in a trade. Butler is in the final year of his contract, earning $49 million, with a player option of $52.4 million for next season.
The 35-year-old forward is averaging 18.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Butler is shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from deep. Butler is a great defensive forward who would fit much better than Beal alongside Booker and Durant.
However, Beal has a full no-trade clause, meaning he could void a trade to Miami or anywhere else he could be rerouted. While Butler’s defense and all-around offensive game would fit well, a deal to land him is highly unlikely.
Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic
Nikola Vucevic could be an upgrade at center for the Suns. Phoenix is looking to move starting center Jusuf Nurkic after a disappointing start to the season. Nurkic is averaging 8.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and a steal per game. However, he is shooting an inefficient 45.2 percent from the floor and 30.4 percent from distance.
The 30-year-old big man has two years remaining on his four-year $70 million deal. Moving off him for a player like Vucevic could elevate the Suns’ big three as another offensive threat.
Vucevic is averaging 20.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He is shooting a career-high 57.3 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three, respectively.
The 34-year-old big man has two years remaining on his three-year $60 million deal. Vucevic’s rebounding, efficient scoring, and playmaking skills would help the team space the floor and boost its offense to another level.
Wizards’ Jonas Valanciunas
Another center target for Phoenix could be Jonas Valanciunas. The 32-year-old big man is averaging 11.5 points and eight rebounds and shooting 54.8 percent from the floor. He is in the first year of a three-year $30 million deal.
Valanciunas is a slight upgrade over Nurkic, but more importantly, he’s on a cheaper contract. This could be helpful for the Suns, who could use more flexibility with their cap space.
The Suns face the difficult task of upgrading their roster, as they have limited assets to move. Nurkic and Grayson Allen are the only tradable contracts that the Suns have to work with unless Beal waives his no-trade clause.
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