Fresh from their first Finals appearance since 1993, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns have immediately made their presence felt in the 2021-22 NBA season. So far, the Suns have won eight of their last 10 games, sitting in the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference with a 21-5 record. However, despite their impressive performance this season, it seems like the Suns are not yet contented with their current roster.As of now, the Suns continue to be linked to players who are expected to be available on the market before the 2022 NBA trade deadline.Suns Linked To Domantas SabonisOne of the potential trade deadline targets for the Suns is veteran center Domantas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers. With the Pacers set to undergo a rebuilding process, rumors are circulating that they would explore moving Sabonis and other veterans before the 2022 NBA trade deadline. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Suns are among the teams that have "shown interest" in Sabonis on the trade market."Pacers two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis is expected to generate strong interest and is among the attractive players who could be available in a trade," Charania wrote, as quoted by HoopsHype. "The Suns and Kings have shown interest in recent years, sources said."Proposed Trade Package To Acquire Domantas SabonisSabonis may not be on the same tier as Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid, but the Suns would still need to come up with an interesting offer to convince the Pacers to engage in a blockbuster deal. In a recent article, Collin Helwig of Fansided's Valley of the Suns came up with a hypothetical trade idea that would send Sabonis to Phoenix before the 2022 NBA trade deadline.In the proposed trade scenario, the Suns would be offering Jalen Smith, Abdel Nader, Dario Saric, and a 2023 first-round pick to the Pacers in exchange for Sabonis.Suns Get Insurance For DeAndre AytonThough they currently have DeAndre Ayton manning the starting center position, trading for Sabonis would still make sense for the Suns. Sabonis is currently establishing an impressive performance this season, averaging 18.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 59.0 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. Having him on their roster would give the Suns insurance in case Ayton needs to rest or suffers an injury.Also, if they don't plan on giving him a massive contract extension, the Suns could simply let Ayton walk away in free agency and make Sabonis their new starting center.Why The Pacers Would Make The TradeThe proposed trade deal would also be worth exploring for the Pacers. By sending Sabonis to the Suns, the Pacers would be getting another young and promising talent that they could develop in Smith and a future first-round pick. Smith, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, may have seen limited court action in Phoenix, but he would be a valuable addition to a rebuilding team like the Pacers.Meanwhile, Saric and Nader are only included in the deal for salary-matching purposes. The Pacers could explore moving them in separate deals to add more future draft assets to their collection.
Fresh from their first Finals appearance since 1993, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns have immediately made their presence felt in the 2021-22 NBA season. So far, the Suns have won eight of their last 10 games, sitting in the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference with a 21-5 record. However, despite their impressive performance this season, it seems like the Suns are not yet contented with their current roster.As of now, the Suns continue to be linked to players who are expected to be available on the market before the 2022 NBA trade deadline.Suns Linked To Domantas SabonisOne of the potential trade deadline targets for the Suns is veteran center Domantas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers. With the Pacers set to undergo a rebuilding process, rumors are circulating that they would explore moving Sabonis and other veterans before the 2022 NBA trade deadline. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Suns are among the teams that have "shown interest" in Sabonis on the trade market."Pacers two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis is expected to generate strong interest and is among the attractive players who could be available in a trade," Charania wrote, as quoted by HoopsHype. "The Suns and Kings have shown interest in recent years, sources said."Proposed Trade Package To Acquire Domantas SabonisSabonis may not be on the same tier as Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid, but the Suns would still need to come up with an interesting offer to convince the Pacers to engage in a blockbuster deal. In a recent article, Collin Helwig of Fansided's Valley of the Suns came up with a hypothetical trade idea that would send Sabonis to Phoenix before the 2022 NBA trade deadline.In the proposed trade scenario, the Suns would be offering Jalen Smith, Abdel Nader, Dario Saric, and a 2023 first-round pick to the Pacers in exchange for Sabonis.Suns Get Insurance For DeAndre AytonThough they currently have DeAndre Ayton manning the starting center position, trading for Sabonis would still make sense for the Suns. Sabonis is currently establishing an impressive performance this season, averaging 18.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 59.0 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. Having him on their roster would give the Suns insurance in case Ayton needs to rest or suffers an injury.Also, if they don't plan on giving him a massive contract extension, the Suns could simply let Ayton walk away in free agency and make Sabonis their new starting center.Why The Pacers Would Make The TradeThe proposed trade deal would also be worth exploring for the Pacers. By sending Sabonis to the Suns, the Pacers would be getting another young and promising talent that they could develop in Smith and a future first-round pick. Smith, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, may have seen limited court action in Phoenix, but he would be a valuable addition to a rebuilding team like the Pacers.Meanwhile, Saric and Nader are only included in the deal for salary-matching purposes. The Pacers could explore moving them in separate deals to add more future draft assets to their collection.
