NBA Trade News: Why Phoenix Suns Are Better Off Keeping Current Roster Together

With the NBA rumor mill working overtime thanks to the upcoming NBA trade deadline, one of the few teams that do not need to make any other moves is the Phoenix Suns.

The reigning Western Conference Champions have been dominating the league for the better part of the season thanks to their stellar play on both ends of the court.

Phoenix has long been rumored to be exploring trades with teams like the San Antonio Spurs for veteran forward Thaddeus Young and the Indiana Pacers for two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis in recent days.

While there is no denying that both players will be massive upgrades to their frontcourt, moving players in the middle of the season for major upgrades could mess up the team chemistry that the franchise has carefully built in the past two seasons.

“They [don’t have anybody] that scares you. Listen, Phoenix [Suns] is like Utah [Jazz] to me. Got a lot of good players, but some of those players can be punked now,” said NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal on a recent episode of the BIG Podcast.

The one-time Suns center puts forward an interesting line of thinking as he is correct in his assessment that the Phoenix is similar to Utah Jazz, plus the fact that both squads have no current top-five player to lead them.

However, the Suns are believed to be a more well-rounded team than the Jazz.

Devin Booker can be relied upon to drop 30 or more points on any given night at a solid efficiency, an all-time great point guard Chris Paul is there to direct the flow of the offense, and everyone on the team is good to great defenders.

The mid-season acquisition of third-string center Bismack Biyombo is a massively underrated signing, while the arrival of JaVale McGee in the offseason has given them a massive lift in terms of team chemistry.

Making a move for another star would certainly be on the shopping list for any serious NBA title contender, but the Suns have been a beacon of team-centric excellence thus far.

The Suns have learned greatly from their NBA Finals experience last season and have addressed the glaring holes in the frontcourt that were exposed against the Milwaukee Bucks with their moves this season.

Sabonis brings massive firepower to their frontcourt and pairing him up with either McGee or Ayton will make Phoenix a bigger threat inside the paint while also helping fend off small forwards and guards from threatening a drive.

On the other hand, acquiring Young would also be a smart move for the Suns as his veteran experience and willingness to play defense against the most physical of big men will prove invaluable once the postseason rolls around.

However, it will be hard to see general manager James Jones make any major roster shake-ups as their focus on team basketball may be affected by a new arrival.

With the NBA trade deadline set for Thursday, February 10, there will be rumblings of a move for Sabonis, Young or someone else, but it might not come to fruition as the Suns are good enough as they are at the moment.