The Phoenix Suns are coming off of a season where the franchise led the league in wins. That season ended sooner than they had hoped in Game 7 of the second round to the Dallas Mavericks. That led to uncertainty around the future of Deandre Ayton, while a new rift between Jae Crowder and ownership created another player on the table to be traded. For now, the Suns are just four games over .500 and are in the middle of the pack of the Western Conference playoff teams.
The Suns have a window to compete right now. Chris Paul is not getting any younger. He has two more years on his deal after this year, while Devin Booker is set to be an extremely expensive player starting in 2024-25. That year begins a $50 million salary for Booker, which is followed by two seasons of $54 and $58 million in salary. That means that the Suns likely need to commit to winning this year and next if the team is going to get the most out of their core, especially since the team has seven players with expiring contracts on the team this season.
As for draft picks, the Suns own their first and second-round picks for every draft between 2023 and 2030. Some players on the market could help get the Suns back to the 60-win team they were last season. If the team wanted to make a splash, the Suns have the draft capital to make that happen. Plus, the team also has the contract of Deandre Ayton to dangle as well. A lot could happen, but these are the best trade targets for the Phoenix Suns.
Robert Covington
Crowder gave the Suns an enforcer that could play interior defense and occasionally shoot from outside. Torrey Craig has filled that role for now with Josh Okogie backing him up. When healthy, Covington can provide a role similar to that of Crowder. This year, Covington is averaging the least amount of minutes played since his rookie season. If he could get inserted into a more regular role, we could see that production rise.
Covington is a career 36.0% shooter from three-point range. This year, that number is down to 31.1%, which is his lowest amount since his 22-game stint with the Rockets during the 2019-20 season. If the Suns wanted to flip Crowder for Covington, the only direction that his production can go is up.
Bogdan Bogdanovic
This would likely cost the Suns a little bit more because of his start to the season. Bogdanovic missed time at the beginning of the year. In 10 games, Bogdanovic is averaging 17.7 points and shooting 39.8% from three-point range. The Suns could play a small lineup with Bogdanovic in the rotation with Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, and Deandre Ayton. With that said, you are looking at a rotation that has two legitimate outside shooters.
The cost for his services would likely be a bit more. Bogdanovic has a player’s option for $18 million next season. The team could send the $10.1 million owed to Crowder with the expiring contract of Dario Saric with a first-round pick and that would likely persuade Atlanta. Crowder wouldn’t be a bad snag for Atlanta either, given his abilities to help guard players like Giannis Antetkounmpo inside.