The Phoenix Suns are one of the most complete teams in the NBA because of their all-around strengths on both ends of the court. Despite the absence of Devin Booker over the last two weeks, their performance has not dipped as they are still competing with the Golden State Warriors as the best team in the league.
Chris Paul is playing like fine wine as his steady production has been phenomenal for the Suns. Through this, Paul has unlocked the full potential of individuals such as Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, and Cam Johnson.
One could argue that the Suns have the least holes in their roster, but they could still bolster their lineup through a few additions to add formidable pieces at next year's NBA trade deadline.
Justin Holiday
Over the last two seasons, Holiday has been a consistent role player for the Indiana Pacers on a movable contract. The Pacers have expressed their intention to entertain trades for their main pieces, but Holiday could be a remarkable addition for certain organizations that do not have much cap flexibility.
The value of a two-way guard like Holiday as a backup to Booker and Bridges gives coach Monty Williams another steady option in the wing position, along with Landry Shamet, Johnson, and Jae Crowder. The Suns have predicated their success on athletes who excel on both ends of the floor. Holiday would be utilized well in Williams' system and would provide an excellent boost for 15 minutes every night.
Larry Nance Jr.
The Portland Trail Blazers have been on a free fall over the last few weeks with the absence of superstar Damian Lillard due to injury. Along with their losses, a plethora of trade rumors have been swirling around the organization, and one attractive and movable piece would be Nance. It does not seem that coach Chauncey Billups is utilizing him well because he is just averaging 20.3 minutes per game.
If he is in the right culture, Nance could be the perfect center in a small-ball lineup because he could switch on guards, protect the rim, and space the floor. He has shown flashes of brilliance in his stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, so if Suns boss James Jones could swing an underrated deal in adding Nance, it would even make the team more unbeatable in the playoff stage. When teams play big, Williams could play Ayton or JaVale McGee. But if the Suns are struggling, they could insert Nance with Crowder in the frontcourt.
Danuel House Jr.
One could forget that House was a magnificent piece in the Houston Rockets' micro-ball lineups two years ago because he could defend some of the best wings in the league while being one of the lethal shooters from long distance. He was scoring over 20 points on five three-pointers during critical junctures in their past campaigns, but he has not found a consistent role in this iteration of the Rockets.
House could fill in the position of Torrey Craig who provides versatility and spacing in the Suns' second unit. There will be postseason games where Bridges, Crowder, or Johnson would be struggling or hounded by foul trouble, so adding House gives them another option who could flourish in the schemes led by Williams and Paul. Additionally, House does not need a ton of minutes to have an impact on the game, which is the kind of person that would fit right into the Suns' environment.
Even if the Suns choose to stay put and stick it out with their current lineup, any team would have a difficult time beating them in a seven-game series. But through these underrated moves, the team could boost its chances of returning to the NBA Finals and give Paul his first ring at 36 years old.
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