In late August, the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns, led by General Manager Ryan McDonough, completed a deal that swapped Ryan Anderson and De’Anthony Melton for Marquese Chriss and Brandon Knight.

While this trade made sense for the Rockets, who would be ridding themselves of Anderson’s contract and adding some young pieces, the Suns, on the other hand, are sending away the only semblance of a starting point on their roster. In addition, Chriss was a do-it-all player that has yet to reach his full potential.

To help shed some light on this transaction, McDonough joined Bickley and Marotta on 98.7 FM to share some of his thoughts. Here is what he had to say about the agreement.

“A big part of it, not only with Marquese but with Brandon as well — with Igor Kokoskov and his staff coming in, they have new philosophies,” he said. “They have a very high-level offensive system that I think our fans will really enjoy watching because it’s pretty impressive and has proven to be effective over time.

“That being said, the pieces have to fit the system and there has to be a role in the system for certain players, and if there’s not a role, we look externally to see if there are players we can bring in to fit the system and play a role better.”

It seems that fit was the biggest reason the Suns GM pulled the trigger on this deal. Knight and Chriss are both talented players, but they may not grow in the system new head coach Igor Kokoskov plans to roll out.

Outside shooting seems to be a major component in this, which makes it tailor-fit for Anderson, who is a well-known three-point marksman in the NBA. As per reports, he’ll even be considered as the team’s starting power forward.

Melton, moreover, can develop into a scoring threat and will add much needed depth at guard. He, together with Elie Okobo and Shaquille Harrison, would most likely take a by-committee approach at this position, especially with Devin Booker recovering from hand surgery.

Still, McDonough seems content with his current roster – at least for now – and will roll into training camp with a great mix of young players and savvy veterans. Hopefully, this formula indeed works for the Suns and we finally see them take the next step in their rebuilding process.