Phoenix Suns: 6 potential 2019 NBA Draft trades

5. (Re-)Enter the Dragon

When Goran Dragic predictably opted in for the 2019-20 season, he became trade-eligible. With one year left on his contract, this is one buy-low trade candidate the Suns could capitalize on, assuming the price is right.

There are obvious concerns with bringing Dragic back to the franchise where he had the best NBA season of his career, when he earned All-NBA Third Team honors and the Most Improved Player award in 2013-14. He’s now 33 years old, he missed 46 games due to a knee injury last year and his numbers declined to 13.7 points and 4.8 assists per game on .413/.348/.782 shooting splits.

However,  if he can stay healthy, Dragic is a veteran floor general who could complement Booker without taking the ball out of his hands. He’s a career 36.3 percent 3-point shooter, can take pressure off Book on offense with playmaking and scoring, and even better, he’d only be on the books for one season.

Finding a more long-term fixture at point guard would be a preferable option, but a competent and familiar stopgap would be far better than trying to hastily groom up yet another rookie point guard. To that end, and with the Miami Heat undoubtedly looking to shed deadweight however possible, these two sides could conceivably help each other out:

Warren was in the midst of a career year before injuries once again ruined his season, averaging 18.0 points per game while shooting a career-high 42.8 percent from 3-point range on a considerable 4.2 attempts per game.

Jackson’s been all over the place through his first two years in the league, but he’s still only 22 years old, improved his 3-point percentage in year two and has the kind of alpha dog mentality that could lead to great things — especially with Miami’s track record for developing young players.

However, this deal does little to alleviate Miami’s cap situation; if anything, it worsens it. Warren’s contract comes with a very fair annual salary, but also extends through 2021-22. Jackson’s still on his rookie deal, but as a former No. 4 overall pick, it’s still a considerable annual salary for a guy who could be on a “bust” trajectory.

If that’s the case, perhaps looping in the Hawks would make it more worth Miami’s while:

In this three-way swap, the Suns get their point guard and still keep a top-10 pick to use on Brandon Clarke. They get rid of the injury-prone Warren who doesn’t really fit with the team’s future plans, wave goodbye to Jackson’s erratic play and send No. 6 to Atlanta.

The Hawks move up to No. 6 at the cost of No. 8 and No. 10, but get Miami’s 13th overall pick in return. The Heat take on Warren to provide some scoring punch and get a reclamation project in Jackson, while also moving up from No. 13 to No. 8.