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Phoenix Suns Weekly: The Chemistry Must Be Respected

By Gerald Bourguet

Jan 8, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic (1) congratulates guard Gerald Green (14) during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Suns defeated the Timberwolves 104-103. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 8, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic (1) congratulates guard Gerald Green (14) during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Suns defeated the Timberwolves 104-103. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /
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At The Deadline:

Suns Weekly
Jan 6, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Thaddeus Young (21) is defended by Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love (42) during the first quarter at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

But then a funny thing happened, or more precisely, didn’t happen. Not a single move. The trade deadline came and went without the Suns cashing in any of their assets or bringing in new talent to bolster a playoff run. The majority of Suns fans were either disappointed, shocked, confused or some combination of the three. Why didn’t McDonough, who had already proven himself to be a brilliant GM by winning every trade he’d made, turn an injured big and a few mid- or late-first round picks into a piece that could elevate this team to the next level?

It wasn’t just that wishful thinking didn’t materialize itself into a star player. Although the Suns could have made a Godfather-type offer for a player like Kevin Love or Carmelo Anthony (“We’ll give you ALL OF THE DRAFT PICKS!!!“), a move like that occurring was highly unlikely since both the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks are convinced they can rebuild and keep their superstars happy when free agency hits.

But on a more realistic level, the Cleveland Cavaliers were actively shopping Luol Deng before the deadline since it seems unlikely he’ll re-sign there this summer. The Philadelphia 76ers also didn’t waste any time shipping away Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes, leaving poor Thaddeus Young stuck in Philly like a fair maiden trapped in a castle tower guarded by 14 fire breathing dragons. (Although, if we extended the metaphor, those Philly players would be pretty incompetent dragons who couldn’t guard anything and there’d possibly only be 13 since an unhappy Danny Granger could be bought out soon). But the Suns didn’t play the part of knight in shining armor for neither Deng nor Young. No matter how you slice it, the Suns had two very good options available to them and the assets to get a deal done.

So what went wrong? Technically, nothing. There’s no way of knowing what happened right now. Maybe the right deal never revealed itself. Maybe McDonough was right to pass on Young, who isn’t a great rebounder and who’s shooting just under 32 percent from three-point range this season. Maybe the possibility of Deng leaving in free agency this summer was too prominent for McDonough to commit to sending away one of those coveted picks, especially for an aging All-Star. Or maybe McDonough was being 100 percent truthful when he said the real reason the Suns didn’t make a deal was to preserve that ever-imporant chemistry.

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