Suns can land Bucks’ former Sixth Man candidate, NBA champion via surprise trade

The Phoenix Suns’ recent 116-109 win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night improved the team’s record to 14-11 and a No. 6 seed position in the Western Conference.

Devin Booker’s 28 points on just 14 shots led Phoenix to the eventual victory, but the team’s lackluster bench unit failed to make meaningful offensive contributions to decide the outcome of the contest.

Their most influential reserve Grayson Allen connected on just 30.8% of his attempts from the floor and finished with 12 of the team’s total 26 bench points.

This has become a recurring theme throughout the franchise’s first 25 games, as Phoenix’s 31.8 bench points rank 24th in the association.

Every night, the team relies heavily on their three-headed monster of former league MVP Kevin Durant, Booker and three-time All-Star Bradley Beal for injury.

This ongoing battle could ultimately tempt Phoenix general manager James Jones to make a significant decision to improve a disappointing reserve unit. Jones can inquire about a several-time sixth man of the year candidate from the Milwaukee Bucks, who is supposedly available must be treated.

“The Bucks have been gauging the Bobby Portis trade market for rotation upgrades,” Forbes’ Evan Sidery shared via Twitter/X on Monday night.

“With Milwaukee over second place, they can’t take back salary totaling more than Portis’ $12.6 million.”

As a 6-foot-10 power forward with an endless bag of tricks as an offensive weapon, Portis’ current averages of 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds paired with 36.7% shooting accuracy from distance have certainly caught the eye of several front offices , as the trade deadline approaches.

The wily 29-year-old has placed third in the Sixth Man of the Year voting for the past two seasons from 2022-2024 and his consistent scoring ability could suit any challenger looking to acquire his services.

On a team surrounded by three of the game’s most lethal scorers from the last decade, Portis’ offensive prowess could be further unlocked by giving the veteran forward more room to operate.

In a potential deal for Portis, Phoenix would have to jump through some financial hoops as another tax apron franchise.

The Suns’ best option could be to send a combination of veterans like Royce O’Neale and Mason Plumlee back to Milwaukee, as the salaries exchanged in the deal should be nearly identical.

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