NBA Trade Rumors: The Phoenix Suns remain interested in an ideal veteran point guard option.
The Phoenix Suns entered the offseason with the goal of solidifying their championship roster. That’s exactly what they’ve attempted to do all throughout the summer. If the Suns don’t win the 2024 NBA Championship, it won’t be due to a lack of trying on the part of the front office.
Phoenix opened the offseason by acquiring Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards, retooling their supporting cast in free agency, and then bookmarked it by trading Deandre Ayton (to the Portland Trail Blazers) as part of the three-team blockbuster deal centered around Damian Lillard for added depth.
But the Suns may not be done just yet. With a clear need at the point guard position, there’s a very good chance that Phoenix at least attempts to add another veteran in the backcourt. And they could already have one in mind.
According to Yahoo’s Jake Fischer, the Suns are still interested in making a move for Indiana Pacers veteran guard T.J. McConnell. However, considering the lack of assets that Phoenix has on its roster, that could be difficult to pull off.
Could the Phoenix Suns theoretically acquire T.J. McConnell?
From a draft capital perspective, the Suns don’t have any first-round picks to trade and could only send out second-round picks. I’m not sure if that would be enough for the Pacers to part ways with McConnell. But it could be. Especially if Indiana wants to open up more minutes for some of their younger core players.
The Pacers might be at a point where their young players are ready to take over the reins from some of their veterans. That seems to be where Indiana is with Buddy Hield and potentially McConnell now too.
If the Pacers do move forward with trading Hield, there’s at least a chance that Indiana could use that opportunity to staple McConnell to a deal. Especially if the Pacers are going to target expiring contracts and future draft capital.
But if that’s the case, it doesn’t bode well for the Suns’ chances of getting in on the McConnell sweepstakes.
That said, I’m not sure it would be that smart to doubt Phoenix’s front office. After all, I’m not sure many expected this team to pull off the move for Beal heading into the summer.
Either way, I think it’s safe to say that the Suns will make an addition before the playoff run. And McConnell does make a lot of sense considering the team’s need at the point guard position.