Getty Phoenix Suns forward Kelly Oubre
Following a stretch filled with drama, confusion and a trade that was quickly pulled back,, the deal finally got done. The Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards came to terms on a trade featuring players included in the original offer. It was widely known that the Suns were interested in dealing forward Trevor Ariza, and on Saturday they completed a deal to do just that.
While the original trade featured three teams, with the Memphis Grizzlies in the mix, the Suns and Wizards decided to eliminate the middleman. As The Athletic’s Shams Charania revealed, the Suns sent Ariza to the Wizards in exchange for Kelly Oubre and Austin Rivers.
Sources: Phoenix is trading Trevor Ariza to Washington for Kelly Oubre and Austin Rivers.
Let’s take a look at the updated roster and starting lineup for the Suns moving forward, as the team has since released Rivers.
Suns Roster & Starting Lineup After Trade
*Notates projected starter
C: Deandre Ayton*, Richaun Holmes, Eric Moreland
PF: TJ Warren*, Dragan Bender, Ryan Anderson
SF: Josh Jackson*, Kelly Oubre, Mikal Bridges, George King
SG: Devin Booker*, Jamal Crawford, Troy Daniels
PG: De’Anthony Melton*, Jawun Evans, Ellie Okobo
The original trade, which was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski featured Oubre going to the Grizzlies and the Suns getting Rivers, either MarShon or Dillon Brooks and Wayne Selden. With that said, it’s hard to argue that this deal didn’t work out better for the Suns in the end. While Oubre will become a free agent after the season, if he has a strong finish to the year, he may be a long-term option for Phoenix.
Oubre has flashed upside throughout his young career, and at just 23 years old has a ton of potential and room to grown. He’s currently having one of his best seasons from a statistical standpoint as well through the first 29 games. The former No. 15 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft . has averaged 12.9 points with 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field.
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