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Bleacher Report has the Phoenix Suns as one of the “top trade packages and top landing spots” for Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant.
“Morant could slot in at the 1 and put everybody else back into their proper roles, potentially getting the best out of (Devin) Booker and helping young bigs like Khaman Maluach pick up some easy buckets near the rim,” Bleacher Report NBA writer Grant Hughes concluded. “Phoenix has plenty of shooters to help offset Morant's lack of spacing impact and, perhaps most importantly, doesn't have the resources to acquire anyone with Morant's long-shot upside via trade.”
Hughes wrote that the Suns would deal Jalen Green to the Grizzlies for the two-time All-Star guard who won NBA Rookie of the Year in 2019-20.
“The Grizzlies don't have much scoring punch at the 2, and Green provides plenty of that if you can look past his flaws as a defender,” Hughes wrote. “Another positive from Memphis' side is that Green is only heading into his age (24-year-old going into his sixth NBA season) and will cost about $15 million less than Morant over the remaining two years on his contract.”
Hughes has the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat listed along with the Suns as possible destinations for Morant.
Green averaged 17.8 points in his first season in Phoenix in a career-low 32 games after playing every game in his last two years with the Houston Rockets.
The explosive 6-4 guard missed 50 regular-season games mostly due to a right hamstring injury.
The Suns acquired Green from Houston in the Kevin Durant trade last summer. Green averaged 21.8 points on just 38.6% shooting (20.6% from 3) in this year’s playoffs as the Oklahoma City Thunder swept the eighth-seeded Suns in the first round.
“Given Morant's health issues, the Grizzlies can expect much more bang for their buck with Green,” Hughes wrote. “And if the obviously gifted guard takes another step forward in the efficiency department, he might just objectively outproduce Morant over the next two seasons.”
Morant dealt with multiple injuries while playing just 20 games last season. He averaged 19.5 points on 41% shooting (career-low 23.5% from 3) and 8.1 assists to match a career high.
Entering his eighth NBA season, Morant turns 27 in August.
“Phoenix would need to believe the opposite about Green and Morant's trajectories, but there's also a positional component here,” Hughes wrote. “The Suns defended like a swarm of angry hornets last season, but their offense suffered due to the lack of a proven point guard at the controls. Devin Booker is a good facilitator at his position, but he's overtaxed as both the team's top scorer and main setup man.”
Booker led the Suns in scoring and assists per game this regular season at 26.1 and six, respectively, in 64 games, but the four-time All-Star averaged just 21.3 points and 4.8 assists in the playoffs.
Booker shot just 33% from 3, the second lowest in his career, and was even worse in the postseason at 25%, a career low. The 29-year-old has played 11 NBA seasons.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns listed as top landing spot for Grizzlies Ja Morant
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“Morant could slot in at the 1 and put everybody else back into their proper roles, potentially getting the best out of (Devin) Booker and helping young bigs like Khaman Maluach pick up some easy buckets near the rim,” Bleacher Report NBA writer Grant Hughes concluded. “Phoenix has plenty of shooters to help offset Morant's lack of spacing impact and, perhaps most importantly, doesn't have the resources to acquire anyone with Morant's long-shot upside via trade.”
Hughes wrote that the Suns would deal Jalen Green to the Grizzlies for the two-time All-Star guard who won NBA Rookie of the Year in 2019-20.
“The Grizzlies don't have much scoring punch at the 2, and Green provides plenty of that if you can look past his flaws as a defender,” Hughes wrote. “Another positive from Memphis' side is that Green is only heading into his age (24-year-old going into his sixth NBA season) and will cost about $15 million less than Morant over the remaining two years on his contract.”
Hughes has the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat listed along with the Suns as possible destinations for Morant.
Green averaged 17.8 points in his first season in Phoenix in a career-low 32 games after playing every game in his last two years with the Houston Rockets.
The explosive 6-4 guard missed 50 regular-season games mostly due to a right hamstring injury.
The Suns acquired Green from Houston in the Kevin Durant trade last summer. Green averaged 21.8 points on just 38.6% shooting (20.6% from 3) in this year’s playoffs as the Oklahoma City Thunder swept the eighth-seeded Suns in the first round.
“Given Morant's health issues, the Grizzlies can expect much more bang for their buck with Green,” Hughes wrote. “And if the obviously gifted guard takes another step forward in the efficiency department, he might just objectively outproduce Morant over the next two seasons.”
Morant dealt with multiple injuries while playing just 20 games last season. He averaged 19.5 points on 41% shooting (career-low 23.5% from 3) and 8.1 assists to match a career high.
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Entering his eighth NBA season, Morant turns 27 in August.
“Phoenix would need to believe the opposite about Green and Morant's trajectories, but there's also a positional component here,” Hughes wrote. “The Suns defended like a swarm of angry hornets last season, but their offense suffered due to the lack of a proven point guard at the controls. Devin Booker is a good facilitator at his position, but he's overtaxed as both the team's top scorer and main setup man.”
Booker led the Suns in scoring and assists per game this regular season at 26.1 and six, respectively, in 64 games, but the four-time All-Star averaged just 21.3 points and 4.8 assists in the playoffs.
Booker shot just 33% from 3, the second lowest in his career, and was even worse in the postseason at 25%, a career low. The 29-year-old has played 11 NBA seasons.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns listed as top landing spot for Grizzlies Ja Morant
Continue reading...
