Phoenix Suns: 5 potential trades for a point guard
2. Kemba Walker
As Gambadoro alluded to, the Suns have already tried and failed to make moves for Kemba Walker. However, if by January the Charlotte Hornets are on pace for 36 wins again and another lottery appearance, and they know their star point guard might entertain another team’s pitch in free agency, they could be willing to listen to trade offers.
With the pressure of the trade deadline closing in, it seems like there’s always one big name on an expiring contract that’s dealt away. This year, it could be Kemba. The two-time All-Star isn’t an elite point guard, but he’s still a great one, and perhaps the most established name Phoenix could realistically target this season.
Last season, Walker averaged 22.1 points, 5.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game. He’s not the league’s best passer, but he’s a dynamic playmaker and made 38.4 percent of his 3s.
If the two-time All-star becomes available, the Suns could start by offering young players and picks to aid the rebuild. The Hornets will try to include one of their bad contracts like Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bismack Biyombo or Cody Zeller, but McDonough should resist taking one of them on if Charlotte is dealing from a place of desperation.
Instead, he should keep the conversation centered on one or two young players and a draft pick. The protected Milwaukee Bucks pick that Phoenix’s owns isn’t particularly valuable, but its own pick might be too valuable depending on what time of season the trade is made. In any case, starting with Warren and a pick might not be enough unless the Suns are the only team trying to trade for Walker.
If the Suns are in a decent position before the trade, Kemba’s arrival will only make them better, lessening the value of their own first-rounder. McDonough could add further safeguards like protections on the pick, or he could try to talk the Hornets into accepting the Bucks pick.
More than likely though, Warren’s long-term money wouldn’t be desirable for a Hornets rebuild that’s already saddled with long-term deadweight.
Assuming they weren’t interested in Tony Buckets, the conversation would turn to Josh Jackson and filler. The Suns would heavily resist including Mikal Bridges alongside Jackson, but something like Jackson, Bender and one of the team’s first round picks could do the trick.
The problem here is Charlotte just drafted a young wing with upside in Miles Bridges, and between Frank Kaminsky, Cody Zeller, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Willy Hernangomez and Bismack Biyombo, this roster is fully stocked with young bigs who are still awaiting their breakout season.
If that’s the case, and Bender doesn’t interest the Hornets, another option would be substituting Elie Okobo or De’Anthony Melton to replace the outbound point guard.
The two sides would have to squabble it out over Okobo vs. Melton and the Bucks pick vs. the Suns’ own first-rounder, but if Kemba indicates he wants out and the Hornets don’t have the leverage, Phoenix could swoop in and have the inside track to re-sign him in free agency.
The Suns could just wait until next year to pursue him as a free agent, but they’d hardly be the frontrunner and they’d be wasting a year of Booker’s prime without a starting-caliber point guard.
However, if they traded for him first, they’d have the ability to offer him five years and more money than any other team. They would need some type of assurance he’d seriously consider re-signing before giving up major assets for him, though. After all, his lack of size and defense (at age 28, no less) means a Kemba-Booker backcourt pairing wouldn’t be a complete home run, even if it’d be a major short-term upgrade.