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The Phoenix Suns only have seven players under contract heading into next season, and only six of them are trade-eligible this offseason. Thanks to his recent four-year, $70 million extension, Grayson Allen is the lone exception to the rest of that group, which therefore makes it that much more difficult to brainstorm Grayson Allen trades.
For starters, Allen had a career year in his first season in the Valley, putting up 13.5 points and 3.0 assists per game on 49.9 percent shooting from the field and a league-leading 46.1 percent from 3-point range — all career highs. He feasted as a spot-up shooter playing next to the Big 3, flashed some secondary ball-handling and playmaking chops, started in 74 of his 75 appearances for the Suns, and generally did his best to tackle the primary defensive assignments in the backcourt.
In other words, the Suns don’t need to trade the 28-year-old sharpshooter, and they’re unlikely to do so unless it nets them a starting-caliber wing or big man.
However, as we’ve already done with our trade scenarios for Jusuf Nurkic, as well as Nassir Little and David Roddy, today we’ll be brainstorming some hypothetical Grayson Allen trades in an effort to be as fair and thorough as possible. Allen won’t be trade-eligible until Oct. 15 — six months after signing his extension — but a few of these trade scenarios might be worth revisiting at that time, or even further down the road once free agents who sign new deals over the summer become trade-eligible too.
Because of that, it’s worth noting that a lot of these proposed deals are imperfect, attempting to project forward a few months, when more teams will have joined the Suns as second or first tax apron teams.
As a refresher, being a second tax apron team restricts the Suns’ trade flexibility. Even by the time October rolls around, they won’t be able to receive more salary than they send out in any trade, and they cannot aggregate outgoing contracts in any trade. They can receive multiple players in return for one outgoing player (provided the incoming salaries are less than what they send out), but they cannot stack multiple salaries on top of each other to bring in a higher-salaried player.
That means the Suns could not combine Allen and another Suns player in a trade, and they could not take back more than $15.6 million in salary in any Grayson Allen trades. All of that, plus his value to the Suns coming off a career year, makes it difficult to envision a scenario where they trade him away, especially since he loves Phoenix.
With that being said, it’s not impossible either, and if the Suns still need more rotation wings or upgrades at the 5 by the end of the offseason, Allen might be one of their best options to get there. Bearing all that in mind, here are a few disclaimers before we dive in:
- These trades are not about what I think the Suns should or shouldn’t do, but rather, an exercise to show what’s possible under the current CBA. We’re simply attempting to paint a picture of what is and isn’t realistic.
- Remember, the Suns cannot combine salaries in any trade, nor can they take back additional money in any trade. In an Allen trade, Phoenix is not allowed to take back a single dollar more than his salary ($15,625,000).
- To that end, I went through all 29 other teams’ books to figure out which contracts (or combination of contracts) legally work in Grayson Allen trades before narrowing it down to deals that might actually make sense.
- Unless otherwise indicated, the trade targets included here are not based on sourced information, but rather, my opinion on players that could address specific needs for Phoenix.
- We’re going to have one of these articles for all seven Suns players under contract (Nassir Little, David Roddy, Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen and the Big 3), so sit tight.
- Allen isn’t trade-eligible until Oct. 15, which means the Suns’ 22nd overall pick in this year’s draft would be off the table as a trade asset at that point. They’d still have their 2031 first-round pick to offer (assuming they don’t trade it in a different offseason maneuver by then).
- Because the Suns’ 2031 pick is not trade-eligible until draft night, Fanspo’s trade machine wouldn’t allow us to include it in the trade machine screenshots below.
If you still have questions about the second tax apron, ESPN’s Bobby Marks joined the PHNX Suns Podcast last week to answer plenty of questions about it. If not, let’s dive in!
Grayson Allen trades with fellow apron teams that would likely have to be 3-team deals
We typically list specific trade targets in this section, but since we’ve already covered a few of these names and the rest feel unrealistic, we’ll skim through here.
Adding a big like Naz Reid would be a big help for the Suns and their lackluster center rotation, but coming off a Sixth Man of the Year season, Reid doesn’t feel like he’s in danger of being moved anytime soon. The Timberwolves could certainly use more shooting and creation coming off their bench, but as a second tax apron team, they wouldn’t be able to take on Allen’s $15.6 million salary while sending out Reid’s $13.9 million deal.
That means they’d need to loop in a third team that could offer them a piece that A) Minnesota valued more than Reid and B) earned less than Reid’s $13.9 million. That third team would then add Allen to the mix, while the Suns would get Reid. Good luck threading the needle on all of that! Trades with any of these tax apron teams will get pretty challenging for similar reasons:
That applies to Ivica Zubac and the LA Clippers, who could easily be a second apron team depending on what happens with Paul George and James Harden. But even if both leave in free agency and the Clippers duck the tax apron, Tyronn Lue’s contract extension guarantees he’s staying in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future, which means they won’t be blowing it up. The highly underrated Zubac — who we’ve covered before — probably isn’t going anywhere either way.
Kevon Looney feels like an attainable target to provide Phoenix with a more defensive-minded big who works his butt off on the offensive glass, and after rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis ate into his minutes, he could very well be available. The Golden State Warriors could very easily be a tax apron team next year depending on what happens with Chris Paul’s contract and Klay Thompson’s impending free agency.
If that’s the case, they’d need to loop in a third team to trade them a piece that makes more than Looney’s $8 million salary. Either way though, this feels like it’d be selling low on Allen’s value.
Onyeka Okongwu is a young center with room to grow, and he’d make some sense as a Suns target. But he’s not polished enough yet to start on a team with title aspirations, and as good as Grayson Allen is, he doesn’t really move the needle much for the Atlanta Hawks’ current roster construction.
Finally, there are several targets on the Dallas Mavericks that would work financially, including P.J. Washington ($15.5 million), Daniel Gafford ($13.3 million) or Josh Green ($12.6 million). But the Mavs could very well push past the second tax apron depending on how they handle Derrick Jones Jr.’s free agency, which would necessitate a third team to facilitate.
Coming off an NBA Finals (and possible title) run, the Mavs are unlikely to substantially change their current roster much, even if Allen would be a natural fit as a 3-point sniper who could feast on all the open looks Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving provide. Washington’s defensive activity has been tremendous for Dallas, and his 3-point shot has been respectable during their playoff run, so unless he falls flat on his face in the Finals, it’s hard to see the Mavs moving on from his two-way utility.
Dereck Lively II has been exceptional coming off the bench, but Daniel Gafford has been a legitimate difference-maker for the Mavs. Maybe a series where Gafford struggled and Lively carried the load could change that equation, but Dallas has a great 1-2 punch at center that they’d probably be hesitant to break up.
As for Green, he’s a solid young wing, but there’s a reason his minutes have declined during Dallas’ playoff run. He’s not worth Grayson Allen by himself, even if he’s only 23 years old.
Grayson Allen trades for bigs
1. Wendell Carter Jr.
On paper, Carter seems like the type of athletic, two-way big the Suns could trust in a playoff environment. The 25-year-old shot 73.2 percent at the rim this year, which ranked in the league’s 90th percentile, per The BBall Index. That would represent a massive upgrade over Jusuf Nurkic, who shot 60.2 percent at the rim (54th percentile).
He’d also provide more of a floor-spacing component, having made a career-high 37.4 percent of his 3s this year while attempting 3.1 per game. The Suns want to get up more 3s under Mike Budenholzer, who is used to having floor-spacing bigs like Al Horford, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis. Carter isn’t quite on those guys’ level, but he’s respectable enough from beyond the arc.
While he’s not quite as elite as the Bosnian Beast when it comes to screen assists (Nurk ranked in the 97th percentile per 75 possessions), Carter still freed up his ball-handlers, placing in the 88th percentile. And despite what his low rebounding numbers indicate on a per-game basis, he only played 25.6 minutes a night.
Carter’s block numbers were low too, but he still held opponents to 4.6 percent worse shooting at the rim. And while he’s not the most switchable big on the perimeter, he’s at least capable. With only $12 million on his contract for next season, followed by $10.9 million in 2025-26, Carter could provide two-way value on a bargain deal.
However, his lower averages aren’t just a byproduct of his minutes; even on a per-36-minutes basis, Carter’s 10.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks hardly leap off the page. Despite his efficiency at the rim, Carter struggled as the roll man in pick-and-roll scenarios, ranking in the league’s 38th percentile in points per possession on those plays.
He also missed 27 games this year and has never played more than 62 games in a season. Is this injury-prone big enough of an upgrade over Nurkic to sacrifice one of the league’s premier shooters on a cost-efficient contract?
Furthermore, as much as the Orlando Magic could use Grayson Allen’s shooting right now, that may not still be the case by October. The Magic have ample cap space to add shooters in free agency, so unless that remains a dire need four months from now, it’s hard to see them giving up their starting center for another shooting guard — even one who led the league in 3-point percentage last year.
2. Mitchell Robinson
Take Wendell Carter’s problems staying on the court, then amplify them for Mitchell Robinson. That’s already a dicey proposition before one considers that Robinson is not as good as Carter is.
The 26-year-old has struggled staying healthy throughout his first six years in the league. Robinson played in just 31 games this season, 59 last season, a career-high 72 the year before that, and 31 the year prior. That’s concerning!
The same could be said for his lack of range beyond five feet from the basket. The 7-footer averaged a career-worst 5.6 points per game on a career-low 57.5 percent shooting, and all 127 of his field goals came from inside of 10 feet. He shot just 58.4 percent at the rim, which is slightly below league-average:
However, Robinson isn’t worthless by any means. He’s a fiend on the offensive glass, ranking in the 100th percentile in offensive boards per 75 possessions and the 99th percentile in put-backs per 75 possessions. He’s averaged between 8-9 boards a night over the last four seasons despite never logging more than 28 minutes per game.
Robinson also ranked in the 89th percentile in blocks per 75 possessions, speaking to his hyperactivity as a shot-blocker whenever he’s on the court. Then again, it seems he chases blocks quite a bit without actually deterring shots in the paint, since opponents shot 5.4 percent better than they’d normally shoot at the rim whenever Robinson was contesting.
The New York Knicks aren’t currently a second tax apron team, but re-signing OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein could get them there, which would then require a third team to facilitate by the time October rolls around. It’s hard to see them being interested in jumping through all those hoops when they’ve already got Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo at that position.
Robinson’s $14.3 million salary is manageable, but between his problems staying healthy and the shortcomings in his game, this would be quite a risk for Phoenix to cash in on Allen’s value here. And even with a first-round pick — the Milwaukee Bucks’ top-four protected first-rounder in 2025 — attached, that doesn’t tangibly help the Suns get closer to their goal of contending next year.
3. Larry Nance Jr. and Jose Alvarado
The Suns would be trading one starter for two backups here, which makes it a difficult move to swallow unless you’re super high on Nance and Alvarado. But there’s no denying Phoenix could use another small-ball option at the 5 for the matchups where Nurk becomes unplayable, and both these guys can be trusted in a playoff setting.
Starting with Nance, the 31-year-old wouldn’t replace Nurkic in the starting lineup, but he’d provide more size at the 4 or even the 5 in small-ball lineups at 6-foot-8. He’s only on an $11.2 million expiring deal, and he’s felt under-appreciated at times because of the New Orleans Pelicans’ lack of options at center.
Nance shot 73.3 percent at the rim this season, which ranked in the 90th percentile. He also shot 41.5 percent from 3, and though it came on a meager 1.1 attempts per game, that was a lot better than what Nurk shot (24.4 percent) on similar volume.
The Suns would be getting another big who could free up the Big 3, since Nance ranked in the 90th percentile in screen assists per 75, and his activity as a cutter would help too, since he placed in the 97th percentile in cuts per game and the 84th percentile in field goal percentage on those cuts. Adding a guy who ranked in the 96th percentile in points per possession on cuts/dump-offs seems like a neat fit for this group.
As for Alvarado, what he does is well-documented by now. The 26-year-old remains a defensive pest of the most annoying variety, ranking in the 95th percentile in pickpocket rating, 98th percentile in steals per 75 possessions and 97th percentile in deflections per 75 possessions. He would help with the Suns’ point-of-attack defense, and he made a blistering 48.3 percent of his corner 3s.
There’s no question the Pelicans would appreciate Allen’s elite 3-point shooting, even as it remains unclear what the future holds for Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas. JV’s free agency could prompt them to hold onto Nance, however, and this may not be enough value on Phoenix’s end, even with swap rights to the Bucks’ 2026 first-round pick attached.
4. Nick Richards and Tre Mann
We’ve covered Nick Richards ad nauseam, including him among our trade targets before the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline (multiple times), as well as in our Nurkic trades and our Little/Roddy trades.
But there’s a reason for that! Richards filled in admirably for the injured Mark Williams, putting up 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just 26.3 minutes per game this season, all while shooting 69.1 percent from the floor. He won’t turn 27 until November, has flashed starting-caliber potential, and brings a number of traits to the table that would theoretically make him a great fit in Phoenix.
For starters, Richards is the type of bouncy, rim-running big the Suns should covet. He shot 76.4 percent at the rim, which ranked in the league’s 94th percentile. He was also third in the entire NBA in screen assists per 75 possessions, and the BBall Index placed him in the 99th percentile in points per possession as the roll man.
There’s no question he’d be able to free up the Big 3 in the pick-and-roll, and he’d lend more athleticism and vertical spacing as a lob threat — all on a contract worth $10 million over the next two years.
He’s not perfect, of course. Richards held opponents to 3.5 percent worse shooting at the rim, which is a decent but not great figure. There’s a chance he simply put up inflated numbers on a very bad Charlotte Hornets team that didn’t have any other options at the 5-spot.
Then again, Richards could also be on the verge of being even better while setting screens for Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal instead of a bunch of underwhelming Hornets ball-handlers. And if Charlotte threw in one of their impressive ball-handlers, maybe there’s something here.
That player is Tre Mann, who started the year struggling to find minutes on a loaded Oklahoma City Thunder team. Once Charlotte poached him from OKC, Mann filled in well for the injured LaMelo Ball, putting up 11.9 points, 5.2 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 31 minutes per game over 28 appearances.
The 23-year-old Mann had the best shooting season of his young career, hitting 37.3 percent of his 3s and 40.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot triples. Although he only played 41 games total between Charlotte and OKC, he flashed skills that could help Phoenix. Mann puts pressure on interior defenses, ranking in the 97th percentile in drives per 75 possessions. He’s not a good finisher among the trees, but he knows how to drive and kick, placing in the 95th percentile in drive assist rate.
In addition to Richards and Mann, the Hornets also include a 2027 first-round pick from the Dallas Mavericks, which is top-2 protected.
The problem with this arrangement is the Hornets may not be on the right timeline for a guy like Allen, who’s ready to help teams win now. Allen would clearly be the best player in this deal; would the Hornets prefer to stick with development and see what they’ve got in Richards and Mann on cheaper contracts, especially if it saves them a first-round pick? And even if that’s not the case, is this enough returning value for Phoenix to pull the trigger?
5. Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk would certainly check the “floor-spacing big” box for Budenholzer. He’s a career 36.9 percent shooter from deep, and he made 38.7 percent of his triples with the Utah Jazz and Toronto Raptors last year.
Beyond that, Olynyk would lend some continuity between the starting lineup and second unit in Phoenix, since his basketball I.Q. and exceptional passing ability is similar to Nurkic. Olynyk averaged 4.4 assists per game and ranked in the 98th percentile in role-adjusted assist points per 75 possessions this season, per The BBall Index.
He’s nowhere near as imposing on the boards, he can be a defensive liability, and he’s on the older side at 33 years old. But Olynyk is a surprisingly good finisher at the basket, ranking in the 87th percentile in rim efficiency, and he’s only owed $26.2 million over the next two years.
With that being said, the Suns probably shouldn’t trade a starting-caliber sniper for a backup big. That’s just not enough value, even with a 2026 top-four protected first-round pick from the Indiana Pacers attached. From Toronto’s perspective, their current trajectory doesn’t really make sense for a win-now piece like Allen.
Grayson Allen trades for wings
6. Dorian Finney-Smith
The most sensible target in Grayson Allen trades would be an upgrade on the wing. It’s debatable whether Dorian Finney-Smith still fits that category at this point, but if the Suns want a defensive-minded wing who could move Durant to the 3 while also knocking down the occasional triple, DFS is one of the better options out there.
To be fair, his first season-and-a-half with the Brooklyn Nets underwhelmed. Finney-Smith only shot 34.8 percent from 3 this year, which was extra concerning since he ranked in the 94th percentile in openness rating on those looks.
His scoring numbers have dropped from his last four seasons in Dallas, he’s a mediocre finisher around the basket, and his metrics were down across the board on both ends. At age 31, he’s not going to suddenly start adding new elements to his game.
However, on a team that wants to compete for championships right now, Finney-Smith’s versatile wing defense, small-ball capabilities and perimeter shooting would hopefully shine through again. This feels like the ideal time to buy low, while the Nets are still trying to figure out which direction to go after their first full year of building around Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, but by the time October rolls around, who knows how things will look?
Finney-Smith earns $14.9 million next year, with a $15.4 million player option for 2025-26. Throw in the Suns’ own 2025 pick that they owed Brooklyn from the Kevin Durant trade, and suddenly this seems a little more viable.
In truth, though, the Nets might be better off sitting on DFS’ value until they can locate a deal that doesn’t cost them a first-round pick. Allen can help any team and is on a team-friendly contract considering his value, but until Brooklyn figures out which way it’s going next, he may not fill any pressing needs for them.
7. Cody Martin and Nick Richards
If Richards, Mann and a 2027 first-round pick from Dallas is too rich for Charlotte’s blood, how about subbing in Cody Martin?
The potential issue is that Martin has not exactly proven himself as a rotation-level wing like his twin brother, Caleb Martin. Over his five years in Charlotte, Cody has never averaged more than 7.7 points per game, he’s never shot better than 32.1 percent from 3, and he’s played a grand total of 35 games over the last two years.
However, assuming he could stay healthy, Martin would at least put some pressure on the paint. He ranked in the 76th percentile in drives per 75 possessions, the 91st percentile in drive assist rate and the 70th percentile in rim efficiency this year. Martin would be something of a flier, with the Suns hoping that what he’s showed in spurts on an awful team would translate to a more competitive, veteran-laden environment.
Martin only makes $16.8 million over the next two years, and the final year of his contract is non-guaranteed. But this returning value doesn’t feel quite as good as our other Hornets trade, and even that was a gamble with two unproven rotation players being exchanged for the league-leading 3-point shooter.
8. Deni Avdija
The Washington Wizards can afford to be patient with Deni Avdija, who just finished his fourth NBA season and is still only 23 years old. Given what he showed this year, putting up career highs across the board with 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game on 50.4 percent shooting overall and 37.4 percent from 3, no one could blame them for passing here.
There’s no doubt that Allen is the better, more established player at this point. Funnily enough, Allen and Avdija make an identical $15,625,000 next year, which means the Suns could pull off this trade. Adding a 6-foot-9 Swiss Army knife to their rotation would do wonders for Phoenix’s wing depth, and Avdija would be a superb two-way fit with this Suns team.
He shot 40.5 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s and 47 percent from the corners this season, which would help him space the floor around the Big 3. Avdija was also efficient in the lane, shooting just under 70 percent at the rim while ranking in the league’s 81st percentile in drives per 75 possessions. He even flashed some playmaking chops, placing in the 91st percentile in passing creation quality.
Unfortunately, as much as Avdija has been a recurring target on our Suns trade lists, it seems unlikely the Wizards would be foolish enough to give up a young player as they look to more of a long-term rebuild. Allen doesn’t really fit their timeline for those plans either.
9. Josh Giddey and Kenrich Williams
On the one hand, hey look, two wing-sized players! On the other hand, hey look, two wings who barely played during the Thunder’s playoff run!
From a surface level, Josh Giddey and Kenrich Williams seem like the types of forwards the Suns need. Giddey is a 6-foot-8 point forward who put up a 12-6-5 stat line this year, while “Kenny Hustle” is a 6-foot-6 glue guy who doesn’t mind logging physical minutes as a small-ball 4 or even 5.
There’s no doubt they bring some positive things to the table. Williams has made strides as a 3-point shooter over the last two years, shooting a career-best 39.7 percent from deep on 2.0 attempts per game this year. He’s also a quietly efficient secondary playmaker and committed defender.
As for Giddey, while his lack of 3-point touch remains a glaring weakness in his game, those concerns would be somewhat mitigated if he were to share the court with Phoenix’s Big 3. He’s still only 21 years old and has proven himself capable of distributing on offense, ranking in the 89th percentile in assist points per 75 possessions and the 99th percentile in passing creation quality.
With that being said, both of these guys saw their minutes fall off during OKC’s playoff run, and even if you can look past the general ick of Giddey’s off-court investigation, there’s probably not enough value here to bite, even with a top-6 protected 2025 first-rounder from Philly thrown in. Plus, this trade undoubtedly makes OKC better, which should not be the goal for any team hoping to contend in the West.
Grayson Allen trades for guards
10. Alex Caruso and Torrey Craig
We’ve already covered Alex Caruso in our Nurkic trades, but just to recap: Caruso may not function as a pass-first guard, but he would bring some desired traits to the table for Phoenix in terms of his gritty point-of-attack defense, ball screen navigation and reliable 3-point shooting.
Caruso has earned All-Defensive team honors in back-to-back seasons, retaining his status as one of the peskiest on-ball defenders in the league. The Suns could badly use someone of his ilk to navigate screens, put pressure on opponents’ top perimeter threats and simply get under people’s skin. When he made All-Defensive First Team in 2023, Caruso ranked in the 98th percentile or better in every single one of these categories:
- On-ball perimeter defense (99th)
- Passing lane defense (99th)
- Steals per 75 possessions (98th)
- Deflections per 75 possessions (98th)
- Off-ball chaser defense (100th)
- Ball screen navigation (100th)
The fact that he averaged a career-high 10.1 points per game while making 40.8 percent of his 4.7 3-point attempts per game this season doesn’t hurt either! The 30-year-old is on a $9.9 million expiring contract that will make him highly coveted around the league.
That may be a problem, because even if the Chicago Bulls finally blow it up and head in a new direction this summer, there will be a bidding war for Caruso’s services, and Allen isn’t trade-eligible until October.
Even if he were trade-eligible now, a win-now piece like Grayson Allen would only make sense if the Bulls are trying to remain competitive. More than likely, they’ll be heading for a full-on rebuild, which means draft capital would be far more valuable to them. The Suns can’t really compete there, so as nice as it would be to welcome Caruso into the fold (and welcome back Torrey Craig on his $2.8 million player option), this one feels closer to wishful thinking.
11. T.J. McConnell and Jalen Smith
The same could be said of this recurring favorite of ours, T.J. McConnell and Jalen Smith. We’ve written about McConnell so many times over the last few years that we’re getting kind of sick of it, but the Suns could use a backup point guard, so it’s no surprise that one of the best in the business finds his name here once again.
There’s a reason the Suns have been interested in McConnell for years now. He’d be a sublime fit for the bench unit, putting pressure on the rim after ranking in the 100th percentile in drives per 75 possessions. He’s an exceptional playmaker, placing in the 100th percentile in assist points per 75 possessions, and he’s a devoted ball hound on the defensive end, ranking in the 97th percentile in steals per 75 possessions.
Unfortunately, McConnell just spent all season and an entire Eastern Conference Finals run ingratiating himself in the hearts and minds of Pacers fans and front office executives. He’s probably not going anywhere now, especially with the way he filled in for an injured Tyrese Haliburton at multiple points, and general manager Chad Buchanan said as much on a recent appearance on The Ride With JMV Podcast.
However, even with McConnell being eligible for a well-deserved extension before his $9.3 million contract expires, this would be the time for Indiana to sell high. If the two sides can’t reach a contract extension over the summer, or even if they do and his annual salary remains less than $15.6 million, maybe this is a deal to revisit down the road.
Grayson Allen would fit Indiana’s playing style perfectly, and his 3-point shooting would be a natural fit in an offense that likes to play fast. Throwing in Jalen Smith and his $5.4 million player option would give Phoenix another big body, but a few problems remain. First, Indiana doesn’t have any first-round picks to throw in until 2028 thanks to the Pascal Siakam trade, and that’s too far out for them to be haphazardly throwing in extra picks.
Another problem is, as good as McConnell is, he’s not a better player than Grayson Allen at this point. Downgrading in talent just to address the need for a backup point guard is not good business, so for the time being, the T.J. McConnell-Arizona reunion remains a pipe dream.
12. Dennis Schroder
Remember that part about giving up a better player just to address a position of need being bad business? That still applies here, even if Dennis Schroder in a vacuum could undoubtedly help the Suns.
Approaching his 31st birthday in September, Schroder put up 14.0 points and 6.1 assists per game for the Nets and Raptors this year, all while shooting 37.5 percent from 3. He’s a consistent presence in the paint, ranking in the 92nd percentile in drives per 75 possessions. Schroder has also evolved from his younger days as a shoot-first point guard, checking out as one of the game’s more under-the-radar playmakers now.
With that being said, as much as Schroder can still serve as a starting-caliber point guard in this league, it’s probably not for a team looking to contend for championships. He’s better in a backup role, because at 6-foot-1, he would leave the Suns’ starting lineup woefully undersized. Schroder competes defensively, but he’s not a perimeter stopper by any means.
Even with their 2025 first-rounder coming back to Phoenix, the Suns should aim for more immediate value in the event they decide to trade Allen.
13. Coby White
No matter which direction the Bulls head next, keeping young talent makes sense. And with Coby White coming off a Most Improved Player-caliber season at age 24, it wouldn’t make sense for Chicago to pull the trigger here, even with the Suns attaching their 2031 first-round pick.
White had a truly spectacular season in the Windy City, putting up 19.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds a night on .447/.376/.838 shooting splits as the full-time starting point guard. He’d be a ball of energy in Phoenix, which the Suns could definitely use more of. At 6-foot-5, he wouldn’t leave the starting lineup at a size disadvantage either.
Unfortunately, as great a season as Grayson Allen had last year, his trade value is nowhere near as high as White’s, nor does he fit Chicago’s timeline better than White, no matter which direction they go in next.
The contracts may align, with White only earning $12 million next year, and he’d look great in a Suns uniform. But this ultimately amounts to the type of wishful thinking that will be greeted with torches and pitchforks from the Chicago faithful for even suggesting it.
14. Cole Anthony
Cole Anthony feels like the starter-level Pokemon that eventually evolves into Coby White, which means he could be more attainable. The Magic’s need for shooting has been well-documented, and there’s nobody better-suited to help out on that front than Allen.
However, as we covered in our Wendell Carter Jr. trade, there’s a good chance Orlando uses its ample cap space to take care of that weakpoint in free agency. If they’re able to do so, they may not have as much of a pressing need for a guy like Allen by the time he becomes trade-eligible.
Anthony is a decent sixth man already at 24 years old, having averaged 11.6 points in 22.4 minutes per game last season. He brings plenty of speed and athleticism to the position, and he’s certainly not afraid to get up shots.
However, Anthony’s minutes have steadily dwindled over the last few seasons as the Magic have improved, and after hitting a more encouraging 36.4 percent of his 3s last year, he dipped back down to 33.8 percent this year, which is where he’s hovered for most of his career.
Anthony isn’t efficient and has notable flaws on both ends, so the Suns would really just be hoping a change of scenery and more development years under his belt would turn things around. Maybe that’s possible, but it’s not a rewarding enough gamble to take over simply keeping Allen on the roster.
15. Jordan Clarkson
At this point, we have to ask one more time: Why not just keep Grayson Allen?
A year ago, everyone in the Valley was dead-set on adding Jordan Clarkson as a “point guard.” Clarkson went on to shoot 41.3 percent from the floor and 29.4 percent from 3 this season, while Allen led the league in 3-point percentage at 46.1 percent.
True enough, Clarkson averaged 17.1 points and 5.0 assists per game to Allen’s 13.5 points and 3.0 assists per game, but Allen took far fewer shots playing next to the Big 3 and was far more efficient, with a true shooting percentage (67.9) that dwarfed Clarkson’s mark (52.1).
Clarkson is a superior playmaker, ranking in the 88th percentile in assist points per 75 possessions. He can also get his own bucket at any time, placing in the 95th percentile in points per possession on isolations.
But the 2021 Sixth Man of the Year turns 31 this summer, and all he could really offer Phoenix is another score-first guard off the bench. He’s too streaky, with his makes overshadowing questionable shot selection as the ultimate “no no no no YES!” player. Adding an actual backup point guard, defensive wings and playoff-capable centers should be higher priorities.
Even with the Jazz tossing in an unprotected 2025 first-rounder via the Minnesota Timberwolves, this amounts to a lateral move at best and a significant backcourt downgrade at worst.
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