The Phoenix Suns are headed toward a stretch where the rumor mill is going to get loud, and Domantas Sabonis is already one of the names floating around. With the franchise short on future draft capital, the Suns will still be pushed to explore bigger moves between now and the trade deadline.
Sabonis would be a headline-grabber. He also would not solve the problem that is dragging this team down the most.
That problem is defense, and it is already ugly. Phoenix sits second-to-last in the NBA in points allowed per game at 121.4, and adding Sabonis would only pour more fuel on that fire.
He is a terrific offensive big, one of the league’s best at passing, creating for others and serving as an offensive hub. He has the kind of game that could ease the load on Devin Booker and Jalen Green, even giving the Suns a point-forward type option in the frontcourt.
But the fit falls apart once the game turns physical on the other end. Head Coach Jordan Ott built a team that reached the playoffs last season by leaning on defense, and Sabonis would be a major problem in that system.
He is not the kind of big who can consistently handle stronger opponents driving right at him, and quicker players with similar skill sets can move around him. The numbers back up the concern: when Sabonis is on the floor for the Kings, they allow 120.7 points per game.
Yes, the Kings are not a strong defensive team, but neither are the Suns. That is why this looks like a move that would make an already shaky situation worse, not better. Outside of easing some of the burden on Khaman Maluach, there is not much evidence that Sabonis would raise Phoenix’s floor where it matters most.
There is also the price. Because of the cap situations on both sides, Dillon Brooks would likely have to be part of any deal.
Brooks has held his value despite Phoenix’s rough start, which makes him the most likely trade candidate on the Suns’ roster. But that does not make him expendable in a Sabonis deal.
Moving out their most intense defender, the player who embodied their grit last season, for a finesse big would be a risky swing. Putting Sabonis next to Miles Bridges would invite even more damage inside, and the Suns do not have an obvious replacement for Brooks in the starting lineup.
Sabonis would be a strong addition in the right setting. This just does not look like that setting.
In Other News...
Suns Starting Oso Ighodaro Says A Lot About Their Bigger Dilemma
The Suns decision to start Oso Ighodaro against the Orlando Magic said plenty about where this roster is right now. It was a move built on practicality as much as patience, with Ighodaro giving Phoenix a steadier presence in the starting group while the team continues sorting out how best to handle its frontcourt future. His defensive impact has already shown up in the numbers, and the sense around him is that there is still room for more growth.
Khaman Maluach is part of the same conversation, only from a very different stage of development. His long-term upside is the reason he matters, but the Suns are still asking him to bridge a gap that Ighodaro can cover more comfortably today. For a team trying to balance immediate stability with future projection, the choice to lean on Ighodaro underscores how much work remains before Maluach can be counted on for the same kind of nightly role. [Read more 🡒]
Dillon Brooks Just Gave Rockets Fans Another Reason To Hate This Matchup
Dillon Brooks is already giving the upcoming meeting with Houston a little more edge than your average regular-season game. The Suns forward, who spent time with the Rockets before landing in Phoenix, has been open about the fact that this one means something extra to him, and the backdrop only adds to it with the recent social media back-and-forth involving Kevin Durant and Suns owner Mat Ishbia.
Brooks also addressed Durants subliminal posts tied to Brooks past DUI arrest, a reminder that this matchup has picked up plenty of off-court baggage before the ball is even tipped. For Suns fans, it is another layer to a game that already carried some personal history, and for Houston, it is the kind of return visit that tends to bring a little more heat than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Face A Frontcourt Test As Suns Tension Adds More Heat
The Suns head into their matchup with Houston with a little more clarity on the injury front, even if the frontcourt picture still carries some bite. Jordan Goodwin will sit with a calf injury, while Rasheer Fleming is available despite an ankle concern, leaving Phoenix to manage its rotation as it continues to lean on defense and the kind of steady improvement head coach Jordan Ott has been preaching.
On the other side, the Rockets are dealing with bigger absences inside, with Steven Adams and Clint Capela both out and their big-man rotation thinned out for the night. That puts even more attention on the competitive edge expected between Dillon Brooks and Kevin Durant, a matchup that should give this game a little extra heat even before the final result comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]