NBA Trade Rumors: Potential Deals That Bring Thaddeus Young To Phoenix Feature Injured Forward

The Phoenix Suns are said to be eyeing San Antonio Spurs forward Thaddeus Young, but most, if not all, of the potential trade deals for him involve Dario Saric, a report said.

Last week, it was reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic that the Phoenix Suns were “among the contenders who have pursued” a trade with Young.

Following the report, CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn suggested that an ideal trade package for Young would consist of Saric and draft picks. Meanwhile, NBA Analysis’ Kenneth Teape and Clutch Points’ Jason Patt claimed that the Suns would need to include sophomore big man Jalen Smith.

Saric acts as the centerpiece and salary-matching asset in any trade deal that the Suns would potentially offer the Spurs and any other piece would serve as bonuses.

The Spurs had an active offseason. They are severely lacking in the bigs department but are stacked on guards after adding Joshua Primo via the draft and bringing back Bryn Forbes.

With the Spurs not vying for playoff contention anytime soon, it would make sense that they move Young while he still has value. Trading away Young for Saric and some draft picks will benefit them in the long run, but Spurs general manager Brian Wright will also need to add pieces that address their problems.

Pushing for Smith makes sense in this regard as they have Jakob Poeltl as their starting center and Zach Collins is the only other forward-center on the roster.

If the Spurs accept a deal that only has Saric and future draft picks, it would mean that they would be heavily investing in second-rounder Jock Landale’s development. Either way, the Suns may have to part with Saric if they want to get Young on the roster.

Many believe that Saric's knee injury will substantially change the way he plays, especially when he enters the paint, and getting Young would be ideal for them.

Saric is expected to miss the season as he recovers from a torn ACL, and the Suns will need to fill in his spot, at least for this season.

They were two victories away from winning the franchise’s first-ever NBA title last season, but the Milwaukee Bucks were just too much for them to handle.

Going into the offseason, their focus was on consistency, and they were able to accomplish that after retaining their key free agents and some upgrades at their positions of need. Their focus now shifts to upgrading their bench depth, and trading for Young does exactly that for them.

Falling short in the NBA Finals puts the onus on Suns general manager James Jones to get the job done soon, even if it means trading away a fan favorite.