NBA Trade Grades: Suns adding Tyler Johnson from Heat

Phoenix Suns

The Heat got a return that conjures little tangible excitement, while the Suns got a tangible return that inspires little excitement.

Tyler Johnson isn’t a bad player by any means; he’s a 26-year-old combo guard who can run some point in a pinch, will add some secondary playmaking and is shooting a decent (for Phoenix) 35.3 percent from beyond the arc.

However, he also shouldn’t be the Suns’ solution to their long-running need at the 1. He’s averaging 2.5 assists per game for both this season and his five-year NBA career, so although Phoenix needs as many established NBA players as it can get its hands on, this won’t put much of a dent in their outstanding issues.

Assuming Johnson opts into his $19.2 million salary for next season, waiving and stretching him would be slightly more costly than doing so with Anderson.

To be fair, Ryno wasn’t even in the rotation anymore, so turning him into a secondary ball-handler who’s averaging 10.8 points per game is a win in a vacuum. It’s just a slightly uninspiring one, as he’s something of a jack of all trades, but master of none.

He and Booker can operate as either the 1 or 2 to increase offensive versatility, but most of his value may come from his $19.2 million expiring salary next season, which would be easier to unload to teams looking to clear space in the summer of 2020. With that scenario in mind, Johnson’s expiring deal could be use to net another asset in the future.

This potential strategy — using Johnson to plug up the hole at the 1 for now — speaks volumes about Phoenix’s belief in itself for free agency this summer, since this trade will eat into a large chunk of their potential cap space once Johnson opts in.

Unfortunately, it may also be revealing about what the Suns think of their rookie point guards. Phoenix already features a glut of wings between Devin Booker, T.J. Warren, Mikal Bridges, Josh Jackson, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Troy Daniels, so unless another move is imminent, Johnson will be pencilled in at point guard.

Anything to ease Booker’s burden and stress load is a good idea, but as previously mentioned, Johnson isn’t a point guard, nor is he a reliable floor-spacer. He’s an okay ball-handler, shooter and passer, but that’s about the extent of it.

If Johnson starts eating into De’Anthony Melton‘s minutes (upon his return from injury), that’s bad — especially in a lost season. If the Suns plan on heading into the upcoming season with Tyler Johnson as their starting point guard, this deal will look even less favorable.

Wheeling and dealing Wayne Ellington for another asset of some sort would’ve made this move more of a win for interim general manager James Jones, but with Charania reporting a buyout is likely, this seems like a missed opportunity to make a mediocre trade more tenable.

It’s certainly not a bad move and could represent a decent stopgap in the playmaking department. Even if it plugs up one hole, though, this boat has been sprouting leaks left and right for months now. This acquisition feels like duct tape being put over one of dozens of holes.

How Tyler Johnson impacts Melton’s minutes — as well as whether this is the Suns’ plan to address the 1-spot for the next year — will need to be monitored. Knowing this franchise, it might not be long before it feels like the ship is going down again.

Grade: C+