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Phoenix Suns: Pros And Cons Of Trading For DeMarcus Cousins

By Gerald Bourguet

Oct 18, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Phoenix Suns
Sep 26, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns general manager Ryan McDonough speaks to the media during media day at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Pro: This Is What You Stockpile Assets For

Like the Boston Celtics, the Phoenix Suns have spent their last few years stockpiling future assets and young talent so that when the time for a blockbuster trade came, they’d be ready with a Godfather offer.

If a superstar like Boogie truly is available, what’s the point of gathering all those assets if you’re not going to put them to good use?

In terms of desirable trade assets, here’s what Phoenix has to work with:

  • Eric Bledsoe, an All-Star caliber point guard playing the best basketball of his career, at a position of need around the league, and is just entering his prime
  • T.J. Warren, a 23-year-old swingman who was playing the best basketball of his young career this season before his head injury
  • Alex Len, a 23-year-old center who hasn’t been given a proper chance at proving himself coming off the bench behind Tyson Chandler
  • Rookie Marquese Chriss, a 19-year-old who’s bursting with athleticism and potential since he’s only been playing the game of basketball for a few years and is already showing signs of a developing three-point shot
  • Rookie Dragan Bender, a 19-year-old who’s the youngest player in the NBA and could become a seven-foot Swiss Army knife with the right development
  • Rookie Tyler Ulis, an undersized but feisty young point guard who could be a great backup in this league
  • Brandon Knight, a struggling sixth man who could just need a change of scenery after looking like an All-Star in Milwaukee
  • Their own 2017 first round pick, which would currently be slated as the No. 2 overall selection
  • A top-seven protected first round pick from the Miami Heat in 2018 (unprotected in 2019)
  • An unprotected first round pick from the Miami Heat in 2021

That’s quite an extensive list, and though the whole point of trading for Cousins would be to pair him with a promising core of Bledsoe and sophomore Devin Booker, the rest of the assets on this list would be fair game.

You want Brandon Knight to man the point guard spot for the long-term? Take him! You regret trading away the No. 8 overall pick that became Marquese Chriss? Have him back! You like the potential of Bender or Len at the 5 despite already having like 17 centers? Here ya go!

The Suns have plenty of assets, and though they wouldn’t be the top bidders in a DeMarcus Cousins sweepstakes, they could put together a pretty sweet deal.

The whole point of the NBA Draft is to find a game-changing superstar, and if the Suns traded for Boogie, they could bypass that whole tricky business. Cousins is only 26, he’s gotten better every season, and he seems like the exact kind of superstar general manager Ryan McDonough has been waiting for with his treasure trove of future assets.

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