Should Phoenix Suns Look To Trade for 4-Time All-Star To Pair Alongside Devin Booker?

Trae Young has become one of the strangest names in the NBA.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the expectation remains that Young will eventually find a long-term agreement with the Washington Wizards, but several teams are still exploring trade avenues for the four-time All-Star guard.

That kind of report is not surprising. Young’s reputation around the league has become complicated. He is small, ball-dominant, expensive, and coming off a down season by his standards.

The Phoenix Suns would make a great destination for Young, but it is worthwhile to ask if Washington should even consider trading him. Even now, Young is still one of the premier playmakers in the sport.

That fact should not get lost in the conversation around his flaws. Last season, Young led the NBA with 11.6 assists per game. He also finished with 880 total assists, well ahead of Nikola Jokić’s 716 and James Harden’s 687. Young is one of the best playmakers in recent NBA history; the stats and eye test back this up. 

Over his career, Young has averaged 25.1 points and 9.8 assists. That kind of scoring-and-passing combination is rare. His career assist average ranks third all-time behind only Magic Johnson and John Stockton. When a player is in that kind of historical company as a passer, the conversation should start with what he does well, not only what he lacks.

At his peak, Young is a one-man offense. 

He can run the pick-and-roll, hit deep pull-up threes, throw lobs, manipulate weak-side defenders, and create open looks before the defense even realizes it has been manipulated. His gravity does not come only from scoring. It comes from the way he forces bigs, wings, and help defenders to make decisions on every possession.

However, he did have a major step back in production.

Young averaged 17.9 points and 8.0 assists this season, far below his usual standard. Injuries played a part, as he dealt with MCL and quad issues and appeared in only 15 games. The midseason move from Atlanta to Washington also changed the rhythm of his season. Between the injuries, the roster transition, and the uncertainty around his future, it was not exactly the cleanest environment for him to produce at his normal level.

That is why the Wizards should not treat this season as proof that Young is finished.

The league may be colder on smaller guards now. Teams are more cautious about defensive liabilities and high-usage creators who need the ball. That is part of why Young’s market may not be as strong as his raw talent suggests. But a lower market value should make Washington more patient, not more desperate.

If the Wizards trade him, they need a real return.

That is where Phoenix becomes interesting.

If the Suns somehow landed Young, they would be getting the kind of lead creator Devin Booker has needed for years. Booker averaged 26.1 points and 6.0 assists this season, showing again that he can create for others while still carrying elite scoring responsibility. But Booker is at his best when he does not have to be the only player bending the defense.

Young would solve that.

A Booker-Young backcourt would have defensive concerns, but offensively, it could be dangerous. Young would give Phoenix elite pick-and-roll playmaking, deep shooting gravity, and the ability to get the ball to Booker in cleaner spots. Booker could work more off the ball, attack tilted defenses, and close possessions as a scorer instead of having to initiate everything.

That pairing would not be perfect.

But it would be talented.

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Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to SunsRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].