NBA Trade Rumors: Phoenix Suns Willing To Deal P.J. Tucker, Tyson Chandler?
NBA trade rumors were bound to include the Phoenix Suns and players like P.J. Tucker and Tyson Chandler. The 2016-17 NBA season hasn’t started out well, and one glance at the updated Western Conference standings tells the whole story. Heading into the games for Thursday (January 19), the Suns have a 13-28 record, putting the team securely in last place. As the NBA trade deadline quickly approaches, it has created a situation where players could be available in the right deal. It doesn’t appear that the Suns are going to be offering any discounts, though.
The two names from the Phoenix Suns that keep popping up the most in NBA trade rumors are P.J. Tucker and Tyson Chandler. Tucker is a defensive specialist who can play the shooting guard and small forward positions. He is in the final year of his current contract, earning $5.3 million this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent. In terms of cost, that could make him a very affordable option to the right team. What might make a deal difficult for another franchise is the asking price that could be attached to him.
In 41 games this season (17 starts), Tucker is averaging 6.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He plays 27.4 minutes a night, shooting 40.3 percent from the field, 30.4 percent from three-point range, and 77.8 percent from the free throw line. Tucker’s main assets are his rebounding ability and defensive proficiency. He is the type of player who could really provide a boost on the defensive side of the floor for a contending team willing to send the Suns a good enough offer.
The other Phoenix Suns player consistently getting mentioned in NBA trade rumors is center Tyson Chandler. Through 32 games this season, Chandler has been putting up very respectable numbers for the team. He is averaging 7.8 points and 12.1 rebounds in just 27.9 minutes a night. Chandler is his reliable self on the offensive glass as well, averaging 3.5 offensive rebounds per game while also shooting 67.1 percent from the field. Those numbers are easily transferrable to just about any team that needs to add size in the low post.
Chandler is a much more expensive option when compared to Tucker, as he still has two more years on his current contract. In addition to earning about $12.4 million for the 2016-17 NBA season, Chandler will make $13 million next season and about $13.6 million the following year. All three seasons are fully guaranteed under his contract, but he also lacks player options that other star players have built into multi-year deals. It would give a new team a lot of control, as well as added value in the length of the deal if he continues to rebound this well.
There are a lot of teams that could use a player like P.J. Tucker, who can be used to guard star players on defense and provide a physical presence that disrupts offenses. The Minnesota Timberwolves have been actively shopping for a player exactly like Tucker and are rumored to have already made an offer that included Ricky Rubio and Shabazz Muhammad. Other interested teams may include the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, and Atlanta Hawks.
The added interest level of other teams will only give him more value as the NBA trade deadline approaches. The amount of interest in Tyson Chandler isn’t known to that degree, but a team like the Portland Trail Blazers in desperate need of size and rebounding could be a prime candidate to acquire a new center soon. The availability of Tucker and Chandler all comes down to what gets offered to the Phoenix Suns, as the team has to be convinced to move in a new direction. Otherwise, the next round of NBA rumors could include the team offering Tucker a new deal.
[Featured Image by Christian Petersen/Getty Images]
