Phoenix Suns: 3 players most likely to be traded before deadline
3. Josh Jackson
You could really substitute either Mikal Bridges or Kelly Oubre Jr. in here depending on how ambitious the Suns are approaching the deadline, but Josh Jackson makes the most sense since he’s the right mix of upside and youth while also still being expendable.
Oubre is basically a slightly better, more established version of Jackson at this point, and since Phoenix can match any offer for him as a restricted free agent, his solid play in Igor Kokoskov’s system makes this partnership a natural long-term fit. Even if Oubre struggles after being re-signed, his expanding 3-and-D skill-set will still be movable as long as his contract isn’t too gaudy.
Bridges is the Suns’ most important defender, and as long as his 3-point efficiency trends up again (where it was throughout college), he’s too young and too useful in the rebuild to deal away. That leaves Jackson, who’s shown flashes but just hasn’t been able to put it all together yet.
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Because of Phoenix’s surplus of wings, any trade — especially for a point guard — would involve one of the team’s young forwards. With Bridges on a rookie deal and the Suns’ holding all the power in contract negotiations with Oubre this summer, Jackson’s $7 million salary for next season starts to look iffy by comparison. His middle-range $6 million salary for this year also works as the financial foundation for plenty of workable deals.
Giving up on the potential of another No. 4 pick is always a risky business, and there’s a very good chance playing for another team — where he’d be put in better positions to succeed with more talent around him — would unlock the potential Phoenix has been waiting for.
However, there’s also the ugly outcome the Suns are experiencing with Dragan Bender, where a former top-five pick loses all trade value after failing to improve and leaves the team with no alternative but to decline his team option, receiving zero compensation when he likely leaves in free agency.
Jackson isn’t the best trade option on the wing, so hopefully the Suns will give him more than a season and a half before giving up on his potential. It really depends on how high general manager James Jones is aiming as the Feb. 7 trade deadline approaches, and what the potential trade suitors prefer among this cluster of wings.