The Phoenix Suns have been extremely active during the NBA offseason. They added superstar Bradley Beal, but their backcourt is now lacking depth after losing players like Chris Paul and Cameron Payne. The Payne trade was surprising to an extent, and Phoenix is looking for a replacement. The Suns are reportedly interested in Indiana Pacers guard TJ McConnell, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
However, Stein also revealed two concerns when it comes to the Suns' interest in McConnell.
“After shipping Cameron Payne to San Antonio earlier this month, Phoenix has no readily tradeable players left on its roster until free agents become eligible to be dealt Dec. 15. Word is McConnell, furthermore, is hopeful of staying with the Pacers,” Stein wrote on marcstein.substack.com.
Suns' depth concerns
Phoenix's all-around depth is in question at the moment. They feature plenty of star power given their big four of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Deandre Ayton. However, as Stein stated, Phoenix doesn't have many trade assets at the moment. Acquiring a player like McConnell wouldn't be too costly, but the Suns will not have much to offer until December.
McConnell, a guard, has been in the NBA since 2015. He's never been a superstar but is a reliable option. McConnell has also been quite durable, something that teams will not overlook given the amount of injuries around the league. He appeared in 75 games for Indiana during the 2022-23 season, averaging 8.7 points and 5.3 assists per game in 20.3 minutes per contest.
Even if the Suns can't trade for him despite their interest, McConnell may garner trade attention from other teams around the league.
Follow Us
Subscribe