Phoenix Suns depth chart updated: Starting lineup with Jusuf Nurkic in lineup
The Phoenix Suns were an unlikely third team in the trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks. Usually, a third team is a rebuilding roster looking for additional assets to help a deal go through. Yet, the Suns are one of the deepest teams in the NBA and have added multiple new faces in the blockbuster trade.
Phoenix had added Bradley Beal to its roster earlier this summer and was seen as a potential championship favorite entering the season. Nevertheless, Phoenix moved to add Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, Keon Johnson, and Grayson Allen to its roster in a move that bolsters its defense, playmaking, and deep bench scoring.
Following the trade, the Suns' depth chart looks like this:
Phoenix now has one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, full of elite scoring, high-level defense, and playmaking from every position. The Suns have pulled off a masterstroke by acquiring so many impactful talents as part of a trade that saw a superstar leave the Western Conference.
With this deal, the Suns starting five likely looks like this:
- Devin Booker: Guard
- Bradley Beal: Guard
- Eric Gordon: Forward
- Kevin Durant: Forward
- Jusuf Nurkic: Center
The biggest departure from the Suns is Deandre Ayton. The former first overall draft pick has struggled to live up to his draft status, and a new start could be what the big man needs to jumpstart his career.
Deandre Ayton being traded from the Phoenix Suns made sense
In recent years, Deandre Ayton's fit on the Phoenix Suns has been questionable. At one point or another, both sides have flirted with the idea of calling an end to Ayton's tenure with the franchise. As such, including Ayton in the trade and sending him to the Portland Trail Blazers makes perfect sense.
Ayton will get a chance to start over and be a primary weapon on a rebuilding team, while the Suns get a veteran big man in Jusuf Nurkic to help them pursue a championship in the coming months.
The Trail Blazers have obtained a young, high-caliber big man with a knack for scoring, rebounding, and facilitating from the high post. Ayton will likely be tasked with developing an on-court relationship with Scoot Henderson, which the Trail Blazers will be hoping becomes a legitimate weapon throughout the upcoming season.
Phoenix certainly improved its roster in the mega-deal, but Ayton has also come out of the trade as a winner and finally has a fresh opportunity to show the world why he was such a highly-ranked prospect when coming out of college.