This post was originally published on this site.
It is trade deadline week, and even if the Suns end up standing pat, that does not mean the thought exercises stop. That is part of the fun. Because what is the point of having a trade machine at your disposal if you never fire it up?
I tossed a deal into the community feed recently, and it grabbed some attention. That usually happens for a reason. You can argue it both ways. There is logic on each side. That is when these conversations work best. It becomes a lens. Roster construction. Development. Fit. Direction.
The idea in question was simple. Bringing in Jeremy Sochan from San Antonio. That is where the conversation starts.
As you can see above, this gives the Suns a path to move off both Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes Davis, with those contracts heading to New York. From the Knicks’ side, there is flexibility gained. They clear two deals that sit on their books for the next two and three seasons in Gershon Yabusele and Pacome Dadiet. Those contracts slide to San Antonio in a three team construction, and the Spurs send Jeremy Sochan to Phoenix.
That is the exchange. Talent versus structure. Present need versus future control.
To balance the scales, Phoenix sends a pair of second round picks to San Antonio. That matters, because the Spurs are the ones parting with the most talented player in the deal. Picks become the lubricant. The extra incentive that makes the conversation real instead of theoretical.
So that is the framework. The mechanics. The moving pieces.
Now comes the harder part. Deciding whether this is a deal you actually make.
The Case For Doing the Trade
There are a few clear reasons you can talk yourself into this deal.
Start with size. Not a dramatic swing, but an upgrade. And if the Suns are leaning into the identity of aggressive disruptors, Sochan fits cleanly. He is a dog. An energy piece. A guy you can drop into a game and immediately feel the temperature change. Picture him next to Dillon Brooks. That is the kind of pairing opposing teams would dread dealing with.
There is also the roster math. Bringing him in while sending two players out creates flexibility. Another open roster spot matters as it gives the Suns the ability to convert Jamaree Bouyea and Isaiah Livers. That is not nothing. It stabilizes the back end of the roster with players already in the system.
And then comes the ripple effect. Two-way slots open up. Optionality returns. If the Suns want to keep CJ Huntley around, which they should based on how he has looked in the G League, they now have a clean path to do it. That is the contrast. One move that is not about stars, but about structure. Energy now, flexibility later.
The Case For Not Doing the Trade
Personally, I have never been much of a Sochan guy. Which is funny, because I have a Spurs buddy who swears by him, talks him up constantly, and then every single time trade talks come up, he is trying to move him. That disconnect always sticks with me. If he is that good, why is he always the first name offered?
The reality is this: he is still an undersized power forward. He is also a career 28.7% shooter from beyond the arc. And that leads me to the obvious question. Don’t the Suns already have this player in Ryan Dunn? Dunn may not bring the same visible chaos off the bench, but the offensive output would be similar. Low usage. Limited shooting. Defense first.
Then there is the cost. Attaching a pair of second-round picks, when this team already operates with so few, feels irresponsible. Especially when you factor in that Sochan is on an expiring deal. You would have to want to re-sign him. Given the current roster construction, why would you? If the goal is flexibility, keeping Nick Richards accomplishes that without giving up assets. His contract expires. Money stays cleaner.
And the money matters. Making this deal keeps the Suns in the luxury tax, and as a repeater, that becomes a real problem heading into the offseason. If the argument is energy off the bench, that need does not exist. This team already has it. In abundance.
Even if the second round picks were removed entirely, I still would not do it. The fit is questionable. The cost is unnecessary. And the upside does not outweigh what the Suns already have in-house.
So that is the case for it. And the case against it. Which brings it back to the only question that really matters. Where do you land?
If you were Brian Gregory, would you make this deal? Vote below and tell us why in the comments.