At this trade deadline, the Phoenix Suns acquired three new players to help bolster their roster. The ironic part is that in both of these trades, the Suns dealt with the same team, the Charlotte Hornets. The Suns traded away Josh Okogie, Jusuf Nurkic, and draft capital in exchange for Nick Richards, Vasilije Micic, and Cody Martin. With getting these three players, though, the Suns get a bit easier control of contracts. Richards and Martin are on non-guaranteed contracts, which means if they were waived, it would not affect the Suns salary cap and would come completely off. With Micic, he is on a team option, and the Suns will decide if he is worth that contract to them or provide one to someone else via a trade. Let’s dive into the future of these three Suns players.
The Suns’ New Faces: Who Will Stay and Who Will Go?
Micic’s Team Option
Micic is the only player of these three with a team option. The Serbian guard was a dominant Euroleague basketball player before being drafted into the NBA. However, he has not been able to stand out as much in the NBA. Micic has played for three teams, his most significant impact was that half-season on the Hornets last year. Since he arrived in Phoenix, he has only registered two games in which he has played over a minute. You take this with him, and he will also make a little over $8 million next year, and the decision is made.
If he can’t crack the rotation now and the Suns are trying to win, there is no need to keep him, especially since two-way player Collin Gillespie has been starting, and has been solid in his role. This is a no-brainer decision, especially with teams interested in Micic back in the Euroleague. Considering their cap situation and Micic’s lack of production, the Suns are unlikely to pick up his option in the offseason
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
Nick Richards
With these two Suns’ new players, not only have they made an impact, but they also have helped it become an easier decision to make. The Suns clearly value the aggressiveness and defensive prowess they unleash on this team. First, let’s break down, Nick Richards.
The first thing that we saw with Richards was that hustle and heart. He brought that immediately for the Suns when he went off versus the Detroit Pistons with a 21-point, 11-rebound performance off the bench back in January. Now, he has had some struggles, 100% percent. The big man had to transition from being a backup big to a full-time starter in a role that was hard to figure out initially throughout some contests. He had fouling issues that limited his ability to stay on the court.
Over time, though, he has polished those and thrived with the new defensive scheme, which prioritizes switching on defense, which has helped the Suns in their recent stretch. Given rookie Oso Ighodaro‘s recent rise, he and Richards complement each other well in this frontcourt. At a value of $5 million, I would 100% bring him as he is excellent value for what the Suns need at the center position.
Cody Martin
The most recent addition to this Suns’ rotation has led to a resurgence. That, ladies and gentlemen, would be Cody Martin. He had been out for over a month since being traded to Phoenix, but the wait was worth it. In just four games, being able to play for Phoenix, Martin has shown that they need help in every area. If you were to look at the stat sheet, you would not see it, but Martin is everywhere. He does everything from checking in and getting blocks immediately to taking charges like it’s nothing. The best part may be how cohesive his play is with the rookies Ighodaro and Ryan Dunn. Martin feels like the connector, the guy there to fill the gap, and does that effortlessly when he clogs passing lanes that lead to transition scores on the other end.
Remember when the draw on this team was looking at the three guards in the lineup and how it was not working? Well, with Martin now healthy, we are finally seeing three wing lineups, and it has helped with the size and switchability on the defensive side. This has made Martin the fan favorite of the three Suns’ new players. At around $8.6 million next year, he would be a perfect value wing defender alongside the Suns stars if they still want to compete and win, I would bring him back in a heartbeat.
The Last Word
Overall, when looking at three new Suns players, it was a win. They have two players who will help in the win now and have shown that already. They also got off a large contract in Nurkic. Richards makes a better overall impact and comes at a lesser cost. Micic may not have worked out, but it is not a total loss in all these trades. The Suns saw some value and struck gold in some of it. These players have changed the direction of the Suns’ post-trade deadline for the better.
Photo credit: © Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
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