The Phoenix Suns are the team best set for the trade deadline in 2014 and names like Thaddeus Young, Brandon Bass, Zach Randolph and Rajon Rondo have come up in connection with the team and now deals could start moving with the deadline Thursday and Emeka Okafor, Archie Goodwin along with first round picks could be moving.
The Suns come into the second half of the season at seventh in the western conference and that is not a place many expected them to be and now they have the chance to capitalize on that. The team has potentially four first round picks in the upcoming draft after various trades they have made and at 30-21 they have the chance to at least make some noise in the playoffs, even if that doesn't mean a championship.
The biggest common thread about the trade deadline this year is that teams are unwilling to give up picks because this is a deep draft coming up and everyone is looking to acquire one and the Suns come in with four. The team has expressed interest in adding a veteran at the deadline and many expected that to be Pau Gasol with the way rumors were progressing, but that hit the back burner after he was injured. Randolph has been mentioned as well, although the Grizzlies are reluctant to do that, while Young is a potential option with the Sixers.
Philly and Phoenix actually would make for some wise trade partners, as the Sixers are purely looking for draft picks and they have three legit players to dangle in Evan Turner, Young and spencer Hawes, while the Suns have an abundance of picks and the desire to make a trade. GM Ryan McDonough knows he is in a rebuild and he got that started this offseason with the Luis Scola deal and the trade for Eric Bledsoe and now he has the chance to make the team better this season while also rebuilding for the future.
Bledsoe needed knee surgery this season and that put a damper on the team a bit, but he is expected to return and if the Suns add a veteran at the deadline, they would be a team no one wants to face heading into the playoffs. The draft picks are important to deals, but the team also has another trade chip no one else does in Okafor, who is on a $14.5 million expiring contract that is mostly covered by insurance due to a neck injury. The team also has $5.6 million in cap space and that could allow them to make a bigger type deal if they want to explore that.
Gasol still could be an option, while Randolph and Young are targets as well heading into Thursday. The Suns have a young team and they want a veteran presence and the GM has said that he doesn't mind if he has to give up at least one of those picks heading into the draft. Alex Len has given the team some size in the middle and Young could be a nice compliment for the rookie. The team has a chance to make a move, now it's time to see if they pull the trigger.