Getty Nicolas Batum and Norman Powell guard Devin Booker
Los Angeles Clippers small forward Nicolas Batum, Orlando Magic small forward Joe Ingles and Houston Rockets small forward Jae’Sean Tate have been named the Phoenix Suns‘ top trade targets.
On August 28, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report wrote about why the Suns should target Batum, Ingles and Tate.
“Because the Suns had such a limited budget after the Beal deal, they had to take a lot of risks: that Eric Gordon wouldn’t swiftly decline; that Yuta Watanabe and Keita Bates-Diop wouldn’t be over their heads in full-time roles on winning teams; that Bol Bol wouldn’t physically break down,” Buckley wrote. “There’s a chance Phoenix is rewarded for all of this risk-taking, but there are myriad ways in which things could go wrong.
“That’s why the Suns’ search for role players could carry over into the regular season. They still couldn’t aim very high, but maybe an established veteran like Batum or Ingles would be a modest upgrade. Tate, meanwhile, might be one trade away from earning glue-guy status by making a host of hustle plays for a winning team.”
Batum averaged 6.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the Clippers last season while shooting 42.0% from the field, 39.1% from beyond the arc and 70.8% from the free-throw line, Ingles averaged 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Milwaukee Bucks while shooting 43.5% from the floor, 40.9% from 3 and 85.7% from the foul line and Tate averaged 9.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists for the Rockets while shooting 48.0% overall.
Suns Predicted to Win 50 Games Next Season
On August 17, Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report predicted the Suns to win 50 games next season. Phoenix has a Big 4 of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Deandre Ayton.
“That’s all relative, though. As you can see, even with all the question marks baked in, I still expect the Suns to compete for the top seed in the Western Conference,” Bailey wrote. “As long as they have two or three of the max guys available on a given night, they’ll be a threat to win.”
The Suns have been busy this summer. The front office signed Eric Gordon, Yuta Watanabe, Chimezie Metu, Keita Bates-Diop, Drew Eubanks and Bol Bol and re-signed Damion Lee and Josh Okogie. Phoenix is expected to start Gordon, Beal, Booker, Durant and Ayton next season.
Anthony Edwards Reveals Why Kevin Durant Is His Favorite Player
Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards revealed on August 20 why Durant is his favorite player in the NBA.
Edwards said he’s fond of Durant because KD “reminds me of myself.”
“He just remind me of myself. He just don’t care. He treat the game like the ball can do two things, you gonna make the shot or you gonna miss the shot.”
Anthony Edwards on why Kevin Durant is his favorite player 💯
(via @Heir_Company)
Durant is one of the best players in NBA history. He has career averages of 27.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists and has won two championships, two Finals MVPs, one regular-season MVP and four scoring titles.
A future Hall of Famer, Durant has made 13 All-Star teams and 10 All-NBA teams. He’s fourth in NBA history in points per game and 13th in points.
Edwards has established himself as one of the top young players in the NBA. He has career averages of 21.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. The Georgia product made his first All-Star team in 2023 and he will likely play in several more All-Star games in the future.