Phoenix Suns: Pros and cons of trading for Mike Conley

Pro: He’s better than Phoenix’s free agency options

The Suns could wait until the draft or free agency to address the point guard position, but there’s really no realistic target that would be better than Conley.

Terry Rozier is a young option that fits the team’s timeline, but even as a restricted free agent, the Suns would have to pony up for a seriously flawed player to pry him away from the Boston Celtics, and because of how well he’s played during his limited starts over the last two years.

D’Angelo Russell would be a great choice given how well he’s played lately and his youth, but the Brooklyn Nets are looking more and more likely to match offers for their restricted free agent.

Kemba Walker is the dream, but much like Kyrie Irving, there’s a fat chance he chooses Phoenix as his next destination. Goran Dragic will most likely opt in for the final $19.2 million of his contract. Ditto for Jeff Teague. Tyus Jones is a restricted free agent, and there’s little proof he’s a starting-caliber point guard to this point in his career.

Guys like Rajon Rondo, Jeremy Lin, Darren Collison, Cory Joseph, Milos Teodosic, Isaiah Thomas, George Hill, Elfrid Payton and T.J. McConnell are all last resorts if Phoenix strikes out elsewhere. Ricky Rubio is probably the best realistic option as a distributor who defends well, but he’s not better than Conley.

In the draft, Ja Morant might be a terrific point guard one day, but like De’Anthony Melton and Elie Okobo, he’s not going to be an immediate difference-maker, which is what the Suns need at the 1 heading into next season. To that end, Mike Conley is their best realistic option at the moment.