Phoenix Suns: 5 potential Trevor Ariza trades

The calendar hasn’t flipped to 2019 yet, but reports already suggest the Phoenix Suns will part ways with Trevor Ariza sooner or later. Here are five potential trades that make sense.

Heading into the 2018 NBA offseason with the No. 1 overall draft pick, considerable cap space and assets to trade for a difference-maker, the Phoenix Suns were in prime position to ensure their rebuild gained traction heading into the 2018-19 campaign.

The Suns took Deandre Ayton first in the draft and traded up for Mikal Bridges at No. 10, but finding help at the point guard spot was paramount heading into free agency. Instead, they blew the majority of their cap space on Trevor Ariza and not only failed to add a point guard, but sent their starter, Brandon Knight, away in a trade for another second round rookie point guard.

Phoenix has found some success with shooting guard Devin Booker playing out of position at the 1, but this team still desperately needs a point guard. The Suns are 4-20 through 24 games, backup center Tyson Chandler was bought out weeks ago and it’s looking like this team is heading for yet another lost season.

Given the state of the franchise, Ariza’s expiring contract and the veteran wing’s poor performance and body language thus far, it’d be no surprise for his tenure in Phoenix to come to an end sooner or later.

On Tuesday, the New York Times‘ Marc Stein reported Ariza is at the top of the list of players expected to be available on the trade market after Dec. 15, the date when recently signed free agents are eligible to be dealt.

Ariza was signed to help lead a more competitive group toward playoff contention, but that optimistic goal hasn’t materialized. He’s averaging 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, but is only shooting 37.2 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from 3-point range. The Suns have been outscored by a whopping 235 points when he’s on the court, and -10.7 plus/minus is by far the worst on the roster.

The eye test confirms how bad Ariza has been. His leadership style is admittedly more laid-back, but on the court, he looks like one of the many vets who have come through the valley only to realize how hopeless the situation is and simply resort to collecting paychecks.

Seeing as how drastically Phoenix’s outlook has changed, it’d make sense for the Suns to pursue a trade rather than just buy him out in February.

His numbers may be down, but a look at Tyson Chandler, Eric Bledsoe and pretty much every other player that’s left Phoenix over the last five years suggests Ariza’s performance would receive a jolt by joining a more competitive team. After all, he was an intrinsic part on a team that was one win away from the NBA Finals last year, and he’s still only 33 years old.

The problem is, even though Ariza is still a useful 3-and-D wing who can play multiple positions, his $15 million contract is difficult for most competitive teams to trade for, especially without having to give up a key contributor of some sort in the rotation.

Phoenix’s desperate need for a point guard has been covered ad nauseam, and there are plenty of options to consider. Ideally, the Suns would find the answer (or at least a short-term fix) at the 1, which they’re still actively searching for. But as the trade deadline approaches and an Ariza buyout becomes more likely, they may have to settle for whatever they can get for him.

Ariza has value, but finding a competitive team that could use him– and also has the ability to make a trade absorbing his contract — may be difficult. Such a suitor would also need to trade for him, rather than simply wait for a buyout, when contenders like the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors or Los Angeles Lakers would make likely top Ariza’s list.

This narrows down the field, since the top teams that could woo Ariza on the buyout market have little reason to give up assets in a trade. The Suns may have to take on an uglier contract with an extra year or two in order to net an asset as well. Bearing all that in mind, here are five potential Trevor Ariza trades that could make sense.