Coming into the NBA regular season, there were some concerns about the depth of the Phoenix Suns. They were going to be without veteran Jae Crowder, who is awaiting a trade to a new team after he was informed his role would be reduced in favor of Cam Johnson.
Johnson was stepping into the starting lineup in Crowder’s place as the Suns wanted to see what he could do with more minutes. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury and is going to be sidelined for at least 1-2 months.
The Suns’ need for a versatile forward was already pressing and it became even direr with Johnson’s injury. While they have gotten off to a strong start at 9-5, they know that some reinforcements are needed, especially with Crowder remaining away from the team.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Suns have already compiled a list of players that they are looking into bringing aboard. Phoenix has the draft capital to make a competitive offer for all of the players that have been listed as potential targets.
“The Suns have a handful of first-rounders to move, but given the team’s impending ownership change, it’s also uncertain how many future assets the current regime can move. In addition, the Suns expressed interest in forwards such as Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes, Washington’s Kyle Kuzma and Houston’s KJ Martin, league sources have said.”
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In addition to Barnes, Kuzma and Martin, the Suns have also shown an interest in John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks. However, Collins also seems the least likely given his contract, as he is in the second season of a five-year, $125 million deal.
Barnes and Kuzma would both bring playoff and championship experience to the table. Barnes has won a championship with the Golden State Warriors, playing in 64 postseason games. Kuzma was on the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2020 Orlando Bubble championship roster and has 27 games of playoff experience.
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While Martin doesn’t have any playoff experience as he has been with the Houston Rockets for his entire career, he could be the most easily attainable. He requested a trade from Houston before the season and is looking for a change of scenery. It would be a risk for the Suns to bring him on given his lack of experience, but at only 22 years old, he could provide the team with the most upside as a long-term rotation piece.
