The Phoenix Suns entered this season believing they were championship contenders, regardless of the beliefs of the rest of the league or the fanbase. The front office, led by Mat Ishbia, Josh Bartelstein and GM James Jones, were ready to make moves to compete. Bringing in veterans like Tyus Jones and Mason Plumlee was vital, but so was retaining Royce O’Neale and Josh Okogie. Those reinforcements proved beneficial for the Suns as they have dealt with injuries early on. Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal were both dealing with calf injuries, which led to certain bench players getting increased roles, specifically Okogie. With the Suns still missing some necessary roles for this team, a new trade piece has been revealed to be available by the Suns.
A New Suns Trade Piece Revealed?
Could Okogie Be Traded?
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Suns could be looking to ship away Okogie, the defensive presence off the bench. He has been solid for a Suns team, who this year have dealt with a multitude of injuries. He is a player always known for his defensive pressure. This season, though, Okogie has been at his best offensively. If you pair that with a contract that is also non-guaranteed for next season, teams may be interested. The only issue for the Suns is, what can you get back?
Why Would the Suns Trade Okogie?
With the ascension of rookie wing Ryan Dunn, it’s been more evident he can take on Okogie’s role. Another factor would be the surplus of wing/guard combos on this team mixed in with the lack of center depth. With two of the Suns best players also being guards, it makes it harder for him to crack the rotation. For a player in Okogie who really has blossomed with this team and found his rhythm, it would be tough to send him off.
Josh Okogie’s Contract
The Suns brought back Josh Okogie on a two year deal for $16 million this offseason. He makes $8.25 million this year and next year makes $7.75 million (non-guaranteed).
Suns Trade Restrictions
Since the Suns are a second apron team, there are some restrictions in doing trades.
- The Suns CANNOT aggregate salaries (Suns cannot combine and trade 2 for 1, but they can only can trade 1 for 2)
- If a player is traded from PHX, the player coming back to PHX MUST MAKE LESS OR EQUAL VALUE TO THE PLAYER WHO WAS SENT OUT’S CONTRACT THIS SEASON
Final Thoughts
This severely limits the pool of players the Suns could get from trading away Josh Okogie. In my personal opinion, there are players that could be moved off this roster who make more money. This could help the Suns save money and find better players to fill their holes. Unfortunately if Okogie is the most valuable piece for trade, they will use it to their best advantage to bring the best chances of winning to Phoenix, even if it is at the expense of his tenure here.
The Suns currently have an 11-8 record, seventh-best in the Western Conference.
