Suns News: Week 14 (1/22/24 - 1/28/24)

[ShelC]

Last Week's Games
Tue, Jan 16th vs Kings 119-117 WIN!
Fri, Jan 19th @ Pelicans 123-109 WIN!
Sun, Jan 21st vs Pacers 117-110 WIN!

This Week's Games
Mon, Jan 22nd vs Bulls at 9:00PM EST on SUNS LIVE, ARIZONA'S FAMILY 3TV / ARIZONA'S FAMILY SPORTS
Weds, Jan 24th @ Mavericks @ 8:30PM EST on ABC
Fri, Jan 26th @ Pacers at 7:00PM EST on SUNS LIVE, ARIZONA'S FAMILY 3TV / ARIZONA'S FAMILY SPORTS
Sun, Jan 28th @ Magic at 6:00PM EST on SUNS LIVE, ARIZONA'S FAMILY 3TV / ARIZONA'S FAMILY SPORTS

Suns Stories
A struggling Suns bench needs to find a way to produce once again
https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2024 ... tu-eubanks

Shaquille O'Neal says Devin Booker is not happy with Nike, invites him to join Reebok: "We just getting started"
https://www.basketballnetwork.net/lates ... oin-reebok

NBA.com Power Rankings
https://www.nba.com/news/power-rankings-2023-24-week-14

#9 PHOENIX SUNS
Last Week:14↑
Record: 24-18

OffRtg: 117.1 (11) DefRtg: 115.2 (16) NetRtg: +1.9 (11) Pace: 98.4 (25)

Uh oh. It may be time for other teams to start (if they weren’t already) worrying about the Suns, who’ve had their three stars together for seven straight games and won the last five.

Three takeaways

- Before last week, the Suns were 1-7 within the top eight in the Western Conference, having lost to the Clippers by 27 points in the first (and only one) of those games in which Phoenix had all three of its stars. But the Suns came back from 22 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Kings on Tuesday, with Kevin Durant winning the game at the free throw line with less than two seconds left. Three nights later, they won in New Orleans behind 52 points from Devin Booker. So 1-7 has become 3-7 within the top eight in the West, with the 10 games still being the fewest that any of the eight teams have played within the group.

- Even with the five-game winning streak, the Suns are just 7-4 with Booker, Durant and Bradley Beal in uniform. They’ve outscored their opponents by 17 points per 100 possessions in 214 minutes with all three on the floor, but are just a plus-1.6 per 100 over the 11 games total.

- While they haven’t been dominant, five straight wins is the longest active winning streak in the West, and it’s been a relatively strong stretch defensively (112.0 points allowed per 100 possessions). Over the weekend, the Suns held two top-10 offenses (those of the Pelicans and Pacers) well below the league average for efficiency.

The Suns will face another top-10 offense (and another top-eight team in the West) when they begin their longest road trip of the season (seven games over 12 days) in Dallas on Wednesday.

Week 14: vs. CHI, @ DAL, @ IND, @ ORL

[ShelC]

[ShelC]

[Superbone]

[ShelC]

They can have Eubanks, KBD and a 2033 protected 1st owed to us by the Mavs from the Bucks via Miami.

[Mori Chu]

Please, please don't trade Grayson Allen.

[Split T]

They won’t

[Superbone]

They won’t

Famous last words!

[Superbone]

Multiple sources confirm to ClutchPoints the Phoenix Suns are coveting Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards in a package that could consist of multiple wings ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

Richards fills an area of need for the Suns, who have a superstar offensive trio: Kevin Durant; Devin Booker; and Bradley Beal.

The Hornets are rumored to be sellers ahead of the trade deadline. Phoenix could look at trading for Richards and getting another player.

The Suns could package guard Grayson Allen in a deal, but he is not expected to be on the move according to Arizona Sports.

Richards is an athletic player who could be a lob threat, which is something the Suns do not have.

Richards is an upgrade over the Suns' current backup options at center. Forward Drew Eubanks is averaging 5.5 points this season but is falling out of the team's regular eight-or-nine-man rotation. Eubanks is perceived to be a player the Suns could move on from before the deadline.

[ShelC]

Richards and Cody Martin for Grayson, KBD and Eubanks works. Moving Grayson now only makes sense if the cost of keeping him is deemed too high. Book, Beal and KD are each making $50mil each over the next two seasons. Yea we have Grayson's bird rights but if he's looking for a starting salary somewhere between $15-20mil, that may be a tough pill to swallow given the luxury tax. We might be thinking it's best to move him now, sell high and get something back in return. EG can fill the shooter spot (despite his streakiness) and comes cheaper. Martin has some knee issues and isn't the shooter but is a bit bigger, a better defender and ballhander and we get the athletic backup big we need. Plus Martin and Richards are locked in at 8 and 5 mil, respectively, over the next couple of seasons. Not ideal and it's kind of moot if Ishbia is willing to pay $100mil in luxury tax.

[In2ition]

I hope they don't trade Greyson for a salary dump. I think they could sign him to $15-20 million and he will still have value around the league if you wanted to trade him later. It just doesn't make sense basketball-wise to me.

[Split T]

Richards and Cody Martin for Grayson, KBD and Eubanks works. Moving Grayson now only makes sense if the cost of keeping him is deemed too high. Book, Beal and KD are each making $50mil each over the next two seasons. Yea we have Grayson's bird rights but if he's looking for a starting salary somewhere between $15-20mil, that may be a tough pill to swallow given the luxury tax. We might be thinking it's best to move him now, sell high and get something back in return. EG can fill the shooter spot (despite his streakiness) and comes cheaper. Martin has some knee issues and isn't the shooter but is a bit bigger, a better defender and ballhander and we get the athletic backup big we need. Plus Martin and Richards are locked in at 8 and 5 mil, respectively, over the next couple of seasons. Not ideal and it's kind of moot if Ishbia is willing to pay $100mil in luxury tax.

That’s a bad trade imo..Grayson is way better than that. Even if you decide you have to trade him because you won’t re-sign him, you can get better than Richards and Martin. Allen is worthless to Charlotte except for as an expiring contract.

And you don’t even have to include him. Richards fits into the TPE and then Little+Vet min is enough for Martin. That seems way more likely and fair of a trade.

[specialsauce]

We’re not trading Allen unless we’re combining him with Nurk or Little to get another all star/ borderline all star. At least I hope not.

[Mori Chu]

We’re not trading Allen unless we’re combining him with Nurk or Little to get another all star/ borderline all star. At least I hope not.

IMO we already have enough guys who are All-Stars or consider themselves to be. Grayson is just about a perfect role player to put next to the guys we have. There's just no way you can get a better fitting player than him.

Can anybody give me their thoughts on Richards? What kind of player is he? Athletic rim-running defensive center? I'll go look at some highlights.

[Mori Chu]

[JeremyG]

It’s gonna be pretty funny if Richards is our starting center in the playoffs and “Better Fit Nurk” gets benched.

[Split T]

It’s gonna be pretty funny if Richards is our starting center in the playoffs and “Better Fit Nurk” gets benched.

How do you think Nurk has fit so far?

[JeremyG]

[AmareIsGod]

It’s gonna be pretty funny if Richards is our starting center in the playoffs and “Better Fit Nurk” gets benched.

How is he not the better fit at this point? Ayton has been MIA most of the season, even when he's on the court. Nurk has put up excellent numbers and has been a tremendous fit. You can't look at one or two games where he didn't quite have it. Ayton was basically 50/50 every single night for us.

[LazarusLong]

It’s gonna be pretty funny if Richards is our starting center in the playoffs and “Better Fit Nurk” gets benched.

It would be funny.
Especially after Nurk tossed Richards around like a ragdoll when the Suns played Charlotte.
Nurk had 24 and 15 against Richards.

So, no to the trade, and no to the misdirected fantasy ...