The Phoenix Suns have a very clear roster issue, and Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale floated a trade that would go straight at it: swap Jalen Green for Dejounte Murray and give Devin Booker the kind of backcourt partner the team has been missing.
That idea comes with a simple logic. The Suns already have scoring.
What they do not have is a steady point guard who can organize the offense and make life easier for everyone else. Instead, Booker has been left to create, finish, and run the show all at once.
Chris Haynes previously reported growing frustration inside the Suns’ locker room because the roster lacks a true point guard, which gives this proposal some real footing. In this version of the deal, the New Orleans Pelicans would receive Jalen Green, a 2027 second-round pick, and $3.5 million cash, while Phoenix would get Murray.
Murray’s current production explains why he fits the conversation. He is averaging 17.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists while shooting 46.8% from the field. He can create possessions, work in the pick-and-roll, and find teammates - all things the Suns’ current starting backcourt has not consistently provided.
For Booker, the change would be less about losing the ball and more about not having to do everything with it. Murray could get him cleaner catch-and-shoot looks, help him attack better matchups, and create easier chances for Khaman Maluach as well.
There are obvious drawbacks. Murray is shooting just 20.0% from three, so the Suns would be taking on a spacing concern as well as a playmaking upgrade. His Achilles injury history also makes the financial side of the move a real gamble.
That contract is no small detail. Murray’s four-year deal is worth approximately $114 million, with about $32.8 million due this season and a $30.8 million player option for next season. Favale also noted that, without unlikely incentives, Murray’s incoming value for Phoenix’s salary calculation would be approximately $35.2 million.
From New Orleans’ side, the appeal is different. The Pelicans would be getting younger while adding a guard who still has scoring upside. Green is averaging 11.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while shooting 48% overall and 45.5% from three, though his uneven production is still a concern.
His deal is sizable too. Green is making approximately $36.2 million this season and has a $36 million player option for next season as part of his three-year, $105 million contract.
The fit in New Orleans is not perfect, because another scoring guard does not automatically solve the roster balance issue. Still, the athleticism and upside are there, and that makes him a developmental swing worth considering.
For Phoenix, the bigger question is whether the Suns are willing to keep waiting on a backcourt that does not quite work. Murray would not fix everything, but he would address a very specific need without costing a first-round pick. If Booker remains the priority, that is the kind of move worth serious attention.
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Green was assessed a double technical foul and ejected after dragging teammate Khaman Maluach to the floor, a sequence that only added to the bad blood between two teams that rarely need much help finding it. Golden State still held on for a 116-113 win, stretching its streak to five, but the lasting image for Suns fans was the latest ugly twist in a matchup that keeps finding new ways to boil over. [Read more 🡒]