NBA Trade Rumors: 1 Expendable difference-maker on every team ahead of trade deadline

Phoenix Suns

Expendable difference-maker: Yuta Watanabe

Through the first quarter of the season, the Phoenix Suns have kind of been hovering in the second tier of the Western Conference. The hope is that once they get fully healthy, including Bradley Beal, the Suns will begin to take off as a contender in the Western Conference. Even though the Suns aren't as deep as some of the other championship contenders, there is one player who might be better suited in a different situation.

That player is Yuta Watanabe. With as much depth as the Suns have on the wing and in the frontcourt, barring a big injury, it's unlikely that Watanabe is ever going to see an expanded role with the team. And coming off a productive year last season, Watanabe has proven that he probably deserves a shot to prove his worth. That may not be with the Suns.

Last season in Brooklyn, Watanabe averaged six points on 44 percent shooting from 3-point range in only 16 minutes per contest. I'd be interested to see Watanabe in a bigger role at this point in his progression. That's not happening in Phoenix.