Getty Josh Okogie of the Phoenix Suns and Derrick Rose of the New York Knicks.
A new era of Phoenix Suns basketball has officially begun. With their big-time trade deadline splash, the Suns brought Kevin Durant into the fold, forming a new Big 3 of him, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul. However, they may not be done adding to the roster.
Their bench unit could use a little bit of added depth, and with the number of free agents floating around, they could look to make some moves. According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT, one player Phoenix could look to add is point guard John Wall.
“Phoenix, they’re still looking for another ball-handler,” Haynes said on his #thisleague UNCUT podcast with Marc Stein. “And so if the Derrick Rose situation doesn’t play out, which looks like it most likely won’t, then they have to look at other guys out there. And you look at the buyout market, the only other prominent guard that has ball-handling skills and obligations is John Wall, and we’re not hearing much on him as of right now.”
Wall began his season with the LA Clippers before being waived at the trade deadline to make room for the team’s additions. Now, he is an unrestricted free agent and free to sign with any team he chooses. Phoenix could look to bring in the five-time All-Star for added depth.
At 32 years old, Wall is certainly in the latter stages of his career, but he could still provide the Suns will decent minutes. He appeared in 34 games with the Clippers before being waived, playing 22.2 minutes per contest. Wall averaged 11.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game on 40.8% shooting from the field and 30.3% shooting from behind the three-point line.
Also noted by Haynes was the Suns’ potential quest to sign Derrick Rose in the buyout market. However, now that the March 1 deadline has passed, Rose would be unavailable for playoff play if waived now.
Kevin Durant Could Lure Carmelo Anthony to Suns
Another player the Suns could potentially look to add via free agency is 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony. Based on Durant’s comments at All-Star weekend, it’s clear that the veteran superstar still has a ton of respect for Anthony.
“Yeah, most definitely,” Durant said via @MeloCentral on Twitter when asked whether or not Anthony could still play in the NBA. “I think he still has the talent to play in our league.”
Jae Crowder Sounds Off on Suns
Meanwhile, the era of Jae Crowder in Phoenix has finally come to an end. He was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks at the trade deadline this year. The Suns and the Bucks squared off recently, with the Bucks just barely getting the edge.
After the game, Crowder was asked about what it was like to play his former team. He said that he was just focused on getting the win, but the victory definitely helped him mentally.
“Obviously, I just want to get the win,” Crowder said via the Bucks’ official YouTube channel. “I didn’t care how I played individually. I told the guys that. I just wanted to get the win. I just felt like it was a pivotal wi, just for my just for my mental. Just moving forward. Just feeling good. I knew they were going to play hard for a full game. That’s a great team. That’s a good team over there. So, I just wanted to get the win. Just keep this good winning streak of playing good ball for us going. That’s all.”