Getty Jae'Sean Tate
The Houston Rockets want to make a playoff push, as confirmed by The Athletic in a January 31 story. The Phoenix Suns may very well use this to their advantage. That same report revealed the Suns have interest in one of the Rockets’ wings, Jae’Sean Tate.
“Alternatively, Jae’Sean Tate, who league sources said is attracting interest from the likes of Boston and Phoenix, is movable,” the report revealed. The report did not add any additional details regarding how likely it is that the Rockets will trade Tate. Nor does it mention if the Suns are close to a trade.
Tate is in the second year of a three-year, $22.1 million contract with the Rockets. This season, the Rockets owe him $6.5 million, which makes him very affordable on Phoenix’s end. The Suns have limited options for who they can trade for.
Tate has also seen his role decrease with the Rockets this season. In Tate’s rookie season, he averaged 29.2 minutes a game, and that has only gone down in the seasons since. This season, Tate is averaging 18.4 minutes a game. Tate’s smaller role could also make him easier for the Suns to acquire.
Suns Had Interest in Jae’Sean Tate in 2023
Jae’Sean Tate has interested teams in the past. The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reported that Tate had drawn interest from multiple teams, including the Suns.
“Forward Jae’Sean Tate is another player on the roster who has drawn interest from teams, including the Suns, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, and Washington Wizards,” Iko reported on February 8, 2023.
Iko added why the Rockets were hesitant to make a deal at the time, which may explain why the Rockets chose to keep him.
“The Rockets aren’t looking to trade the 27-year-old forward who is internally regarded as one of the most important pieces of this youthful roster — but as is the case with any player, if there was a “can’t-turn-down” type offer, it would be considered, those sources said.”
The Athletic’s report would indicate that the Rockets don’t view Tate the same way in 2024 that they did in 2023. That doesn’t necessarily mean they will trade Tate, but it’s not out of the question that the Suns could get him.
Suns ‘Very Confident’ They Can Get Miles Bridges: Report
The Suns want another wing, as evidenced by their interest in Jae’Sean Tate. However, there’s another wing they want that they are optimistic they can get. PHNX Sports’ Gerald Bourguet reported that the Suns have confidence that they can acquire Miles Bridges from the Charlotte Hornets.
“A source close to the situation described the Suns as feeling very confident they’d be able to get a deal for Bridges across the finish line. Financially speaking, Bridges’ $7.9 million contract would be easy to match by sending Charlotte a combination of Nassir Little’s $6.3 million salary and a veteran minimum player like Chimezie Metu ($2.3 million), Yuta Watanabe ($2.3 million) or Bol Bol ($2.2 million),” Bourguet wrote in a January 26 story.
Bridges has plenty of talent, averaging 20.9 points while shooting 45.9% from the field and 35.3% from three. However, Bourguet added why it might be hard for the Suns to pull the trigger on that deal.
“The question is whether Phoenix is ready to be burned by the inevitable PR nightmare that comes with trading for a player who’s been charged with felony domestic violence and child abuse.”