Phoenix Suns: 3 potential trades for Mike Conley

Trade No. 3

We start with the kind of deal Phoenix should try to avoid if at all possible. Calling a rookie who’s averaging 7.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game on .420/.343/.857 shooting splits “off limits” is a stretch, but Mikal Bridges is the young wing to keep away from Conley trade talks if at all possible, not just because of his prior track record from 3-point range, but also his defensive upside and high I.Q. Something similar could be said of De’Anthony Melton, though to a lesser degree.

Even so, the Grizzlies would be foolish not to push for Bridges unless they were also high on T.J. Warren or Josh Jackson. (Kelly Oubre Jr. would be included in this group, but because he was traded to the Suns this year, he cannot be dealt again in conjunction with another player, which all but eliminates him from the conversation.)

Bearing that in mind, and with Bridges serving as the crown jewel of the trade on the player front, Ryan Anderson’s $20.4 million salary is essential to building a deal to match Conley’s $30.5 million figure.

The final year of Anderson’s contract next season ($21.3 million) is only guaranteed for $15.6 million. Whether he plays, is traded as an expiring contract or rides the bench all year, he isn’t a problem for a Grizzlies team that will be tanking and can afford to be patient with its roster reconstruction after trading away Conley and/or Gasol.

Then comes the issue of salary cap filler and which first round pick is included. Since the Suns’ wing with the most trade value is being involved in this scenario, an expiring deal like Troy Daniels makes sense. As for the pick, assuming Action Network‘s Matt Moore is correct in his assertion, a 2021 first round draft pick is the offering, preferably with a top-3 protection.

The reason for the protection (and the reason Memphis might object to one)? That’ll be about halfway through Devin Booker’s massive contract extension, and if the Suns continue to bellyflop on the team-building front, it’s right around the time he’ll be requesting a trade out of Phoenix.

As good as Mikal Bridges is, Memphis might want more immediate value from the draft picks being offered, while the Suns would probably rather compensate on that front instead of including their promising rookie.