Suns player who must be traded soon

12/06/2024 08:53 AM

Earlier this year at the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Suns were one of the most disappointing teams. As early as the first round, they were swept by the up-and-coming Minnesota Timberwolves.

However, with little to no room for flexibility or assets, the Suns couldn’t even make the upgrades they wanted during the offseason. Nonetheless, they did manage to lure in Mike Budenholzer to take over the head coaching duties. Given that he recently won a championship in Milwaukee in 2021, coincidentally at the expense of Phoenix, the move surely holds some promise.

Fast forward to the 2024-2025 season, the team is currently sitting as the fifth seed in the Western Conference with a 12-8 record. Given that the Suns are running it back with their big three, it’s a sure bet that the Arizona-based franchise are still heavy hitters for the championship.

But while the Suns are basically running back with the same roster, it remains to be seen whether that continues to hold true. One of the most noticeable differences under Budenholzer has been the declining role of Grayson Allen. Moreover, with a friendly paycheck this season, he’s certainly a prime candidate the Suns should trade soon.

Decreased role and production for Grayson Allen

Allen was the league’s top shooter, hitting a career-best 46.1% from beyond the arc. However, he hasn’t been the same this season. Allen is only shooting 34.3% from that region this year. While he’s still averaging a respectable 10.5 points per game, the one-time NCAA champion is playing a reduced role compared to last season.

Last year, Allen started 74 out of the 75 games he played with the Suns. In contrast to the ongoing 2024-2025 season, under Budenholzer, the league’s best three-point shooter has only started in a game once. Furthermore, Allen is only averaging 23.1 minutes per game this year which is a huge drop compared to last season’s 33.5 minutes per contest.

There hasn’t been an exact reason as to why the Suns aren’t playing Allen as much this year. However, a potential reason could be a healthier Beal. It wasn’t long ago when Beal dominated the NBA with his scoring during his days in Washington. Although the transition to Phoenix hasn’t been entirely smooth, it’s still a no-brainer to play the former All-Star guard over Allen.

With Allen playing on a reduced role, the Suns aren’t exactly maximizing his abilities to the fullest. As a knockdown shooter who can also make an impact on the defensive end, he might be better off playing elsewhere compared to a Phoenix squad that’s already crowded at the wing position.

Tradeable salary for the Suns

During the offseason, the Suns managed to ink Allen to a bargain four-year contract worth $70 million. The deal will pay the former Duke standout around $15.6 million for the 2024-2025 season. Although the elite shooter is just in the first year of the deal, teams might be still enticed by his salary. Furthermore, they’re also getting the benefit of Allen’s two-way play at a bargain.

Usually, teams are involving players in trade discussions when they’re on expiring deals. However, given that Allen’s paycheck is movable, it’s easy to see why the league’s top three-point shooter has been in trade rumors as of late.

Moreover, the Suns don’t exactly have much wiggle room to make some upgrades to their roster. Given that the big three is basically untouchable, the Suns’ best trade candidate to upgrade their roster prior to the trade deadline has to be Allen.

Potential assets available in the market

Let’s not forget that it wasn’t long ago when the Suns basically surrendered their haul of draft picks in order to bring together the team’s big three. As a result, while they have plenty of star power, the team has struggled to make some adjustments to their supporting cast. But more importantly, the franchise also faces an uncertain future after going all-in on Durant, Booker, and Beal.

A slight remedy to the Suns’ problems would be dangling Allen to potential suitors in exchange for championship upgrades and potentially some draft picks. The move should enable the franchise to have a little more flexibility.

Let’s not forget, Allen is coming off his best shooting season. This should ultimately entice a handful of potential trade partners. However, with only a few movable pieces headlined by the former Duke star, the Suns need to be smart about which deal they should execute. As a result, there’s no question that the margin of error on the Suns’ front office is slim to none.

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