Trade season is well underway. Over the past couple of CBA’s, new financial rules, such as the supermax contract and the second apron, have all but killed free agency. The most important transaction window in the NBA now is the week leading up to the trade deadline.
The Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers have been the most active teams so far this week. The Cavs have added Keon Ellis and James Harden, sending Deandre Hunter and Darius Garland out the door.
The Bulls, meanwhile, checks notes, have
been making savvy moves to take fliers on young players, tearing down their perennial play-in team in the process? That’s right. The Bulls aren’t pushing for the play-in this year. Instead, they have rerouted former Phoenix Sun Dario Saric to Detroit as part of a package for Jaden Ivey, and swapped Nikola Vucevic’s expiring deal for Anfernee Simons.
With that trade completed, the Bulls are now center-less. They still have 6’9” Zach Collins and 6’8” Jalen Smith (heights taken from Basketball Reference), who can both play center, but you would have to think that the Bulls would be looking either to add more size to finish out the year, or continue to make moves to bolster their future.
This is where the Suns could step in. Earlier this week, Managing Editor for Bright Side of the Sun, John Voita, posted this mock trade, asking our readers to weigh in on its potential.
Many Suns fans remember Jalen Smith as the busted tenth overall pick in a draft that saw Tyrese Haliburton go twelfth overall. But that was the past. We cannot hold Smith accountable for James Jones’ draft choices. At the time, I was skeptical of the pick, as most fans were. However, the previous year, Jones had drafted Cameron Johnson way above where he was projected to go, so there was hope that “Stix” would pan out the same way.
This was not the case. He played just 56 games in the Valley of the Sun before being sent to Indiana for Torrey Craig in his sophomore season. Stix didn’t work out the first time. But since he left Phoenix, he has quietly carved out a nice career for himself. He certainly hasn’t “popped,” but he isn’t a G-Leaguer anymore either.
The current league average three-point percentage is 36%. If the Phoenix Suns traded for Stix, they would be receiving a big power forward who can shoot the three at an above league average clip and pull down rebounds. his 6.9 rebounds per game, by the way, would be second on the Suns. Only Mark Williams, at 8.1, averages more than 4.9 rebounds per game.
Jalen Smith isn’t Giannis. He isn’t going to come in and completely change this team on the court. But he also isn’t going to come in and completely change this team off the court. This is the exact type of move that the Suns can make this deadline if they want to improve. Small. Around the edges of the team. Adding players that don’t need the ball to make an impact.
I believe that Smith is the best trade the Suns can make this deadline. But that’s enough about my thoughts. Let’s see what you had to say about this trade:
jrm2020
“Would hurt some losing Royce, but I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve seen of Smith this year, and he’s even a decent 3-point shooter. I think he’d fit in fine here.”
This is the essence of why you do this trade. “Smith is fine, I guess,” is probably how most people would feel if the Suns traded for him. Losing Royce would definitely hurt. I’ve already outlined why in a previous article
sunsfever83
“Not a chance. Sending Richards is one thing, but Royce is an entirely different beast. Don’t need anything to mess with team chemistry right now.”
This is an entirely reasonable take. Many of the writers and readers alike at Bright Side right now are on #TeamNoTrade. It makes sense. We have had terrible basketball for years. Why shake things up when the team is playing so well.
DTSunsFan
“In a heartbeat.”
I’m with you, DTSunsFan.
erikthatchefguy
“Why would you fu** up the chemistry of this once in a decade Suns team to acquire the worst draft pick in our history. Deandre ayton isn’t it.. it’s Jalen Smith it’s not Josh Jackson. I’m literally flabbergasted”
I wanted to include this post because there was similar sentiment across the replies. Many people do not, in fact, think that Jalen Smith would be “fine, I guess.” A lot of Suns fans recognize that Smith was really bad when he played here and there hasn’t been much reason to touch back in to see his progress since he left. If you just opened up a Bulls game on a random Tuesday night, you probably wouldn’t be impressed.
I have to disagree on Josh Jackson, though. Everyone knew we needed a point guard, Bledsoe wasn’t going to be here forever, and Fox was still on the board. That pick still breaks my heart more than the Ayton one. I respect the take though, and I’m off my Josh Jackson soap box now.
The most common argument against the trade that I saw was that most of us do not want to give up Royce O’Neale. Allow me to amend this trade, then. What if I proposed to you the following trade instead:
Would you take Jalen Smith for this package? The Suns get a power forward to slot in for the time being, and the Bulls get a big man they can run out there for the rest of the season and a 2nd round pick for their trouble.
Jalen Smith can be a useful player for this team. While I think the trade is unlikely, should it happen, I would be hopeful for what it could mean for the Phoenix Suns.
What do you think, Suns fans? Are you ready to bring Stix home?
