Mock Trade: Suns Obtain Backup Point Guard
The Phoenix Suns have accomplished majority of their tasks they wanted to get done at the beginning of the offseason.
Devin Booker is inked to a new deal. Deandre Ayton is back with the team after testing the free-agent waters. Despite some losses, Phoenix feels they've added adequate fillers in the holes that were left by some departures.
For the most part, the crew is back together for a Suns team that hopes to capitalize on their talented roster.
However, fans believe adjustments are still needed, especially behind point guard Chris Paul.
The likes of Landry Shamet and Cameron Payne weren't convincing enough as secondary scorers in the postseason. The jury is still out on how Damion Lee and perhaps Duane Washington Jr. can help the squad, but the Suns still thirst for a true presence off the bench.
Enter: Boston Celtics guard Derrick White.
Heavy.com's Jack Simone formulated a trade that saw White land in Phoenix.
Mock Trade: Suns Obtain Backup Point Guard
"For CelticsBlog, I covered potential trade ideas involving their core guards. Among the ideas was a trade with the Phoenix Suns that would help the Celtics add wing depth. In exchange, they would be giving the Suns a backup point guard," said Simone.
Celtics receive: Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder
Suns receive: Derrick White, draft pick
"This deal could end up helping both sides, as the Celtics would receive added depth and the Suns would finally get a reliable backup point guard. Plus, trading Johnson is something the Suns have explored in the past.
“Johnson has proven to be one of the best 3&D wings in the league and would fit in perfectly off the Celtics bench. Plus, with Phoenix struggling to find a consistent answer at the backup point guard position, White could potentially be a guy that would help them.
“White for Johnson wouldn’t work salary-wise, but White and a pick for Johnson and Jaw Crowder would. There’s always a chance that Phoenix simply decides to pay Johnson, but if they want to avoid extending him while also staying competitive in the process, that option should be on Boston’s radar."
Crowder has expressed desires of moving on to a fresh start elsewhere on Twitter, and Johnson became eligible for a contract extension this offseason.
White, who just turned 28-years-old, was a first-round pick in 2017. After being traded to Boston last year, he averaged 11 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
For 2022-23, he's set to make $16.89 million and is under contract for three more seasons.
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