Read opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan.
The NBA trading deadline has come and gone. Several teams made moves, with some making moves to improve the team and make a run at this season’s championship. Others, meanwhile, made moves to essentially throw in the towel for the season and begin the rebuilding process. Some of those teams made moves to clear cap space for the free agent bonanza. Perhaps you have heard a thing or two about it. Possible free agents you have heard include LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. But the team that made the biggest move at the trading deadline was, in fact, a team that did nothing. And that is a good thing. That team is the Phoenix Suns.
For weeks, we heard about all the places that Amare’e Stoudemire could be traded. Would it be the Miami Heat, where he would team up with Wade to power an underperforming team? Would it be with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he could be on the same team as King James? Would it be Dallas? Every day we heard or read different rumors. I often wondered why the Suns would be so eager to part with a talent like Stoudemire, who is quite the force on the court when healthy.
Obviously, there is some risk involved. Amare’e (he is one of those players you can refer to on a first name basis) could choose to opt out of his contract after the season and decline the $17.7M option. Perhaps he wants to throw his hat in the ring this offseason. If that is the case, then maybe Phoenix regrets not making a move. Amare’e has stated that he is leaning toward NOT opting out of his contract. That would be welcome news for Suns fans, and welcome news for Suns general manager Steve Kerr, who would take some serious heat if the opposite happened.
As for this season, I think it is an excellent move for the Suns to stand pat. It is not like the Suns are competing with the Nets for the number one pick in next year’s draft. They are right in the thick of things in the Western Conference with a record of 34-23 through Sunday. That currently puts them sixth in the conference, but just three and a half games back of Denver for second place. Are you really helping your team by trading away a guy who is averaging 21 points and nearly nine rebounds a game? He is still young at only 27-years-old (he is younger than all four TSD writers) and, when healthy, he is absolutely a nightmare for defenses to deal with on the court.
Suns fans have to be pleased that Kerr did not pull the trigger on any of the trades that were thrown his way over the past few weeks. He decided to roll the dice a little and see how the situation plays out with Amare’e. I think it is a gamble that will pay for the Suns in the short run, obviously, but also in the long run.
