NBA Rumors: Will Minnesota Timberwolves pursue Chris Paul?
By Bret Stuter
Phoenix Suns motivators
The Phoenix Suns are motivated to build around power forward Kevin Durant and shooting guard Devin Booker. To amplify their effectiveness, the pair needs to be surrounded by veterans who are in the same timeline of production and performance. While point guard Chris Paul aligns with that timeframe, Deandre Ayton does not. The problem with Paul is simply that he is getting older, he is 38 years old, and his availability to compete is waning.
Why the Suns won’t make this deal
The Phoenix Suns have to be convinced that this is the best fit for their roster because once that trigger is pulled, there is no going back. That’s a tough place to get to in the NBA offseason and there is no certainty that some other team will not offer a more competitive package. For that matter, are the Suns seeking to shed his salary cap to pivot in a different direction altogether? Without more of an understanding of what the Phoenix Suns front office intends, there is a risk of simply aiming at the wrong target, or missing that target completely.
Why the Suns will make this deal
The Phoenix Suns have a short-duration window to get something going quickly in time for their newly added veteran power forward Kevin Durant, and that eliminates draft picks, rebuilding, getting younger, and a host of common reasons why speculative trades like this fail to gain traction. In terms of what the Phoenix Suns trade away versus what the Suns get in return, the very vacancies created by this exchange create the voids in the Sun’s roster that are immediately filled by players acquired from the Timberwolves.
Conley and Gobert have worked together for some time, and have the veteran savoir-faire necessary to get the Suns over the hump almost instantly and relatively seamlessly.