NBA Rumors: Should Phoenix Suns Consider Trading Ricky Rubio For John Wall This Offseason?
Regardless of the outcome of the 2019-20 NBA season, the Phoenix Suns are expected to make major upgrades to their roster this fall. Devin Booker may have already blossomed into an All-Star caliber player, but in order to become a legitimate threat in the Western Conference, the Suns obviously need more star power on their team. One of the players that the Suns could target on the market in the 2020 offseason is John Wall of the Washington Wizards.
In a recent article, Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report created a list of offseason trades for every lottery team this fall. For the Suns, Bailey suggested that they consider sending Ricky Rubio to the Wizards in exchange for Wall. If the deal becomes a reality, it would not only be beneficial for the Suns, but also for the Wizards.
“For Washington, this deal would give it a chance to get out from under one of the league’s most onerous contracts. It would also put the team squarely in the hands of Bradley Beal. Building around him, Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura and Thomas Bryant makes sense, especially if a Wall trade creates some additional cap flexibility.”
The proposed deal is definitely a no-brainer for the Wizards. Aside from successfully getting rid of Wall’s contract without giving up a young player or a future draft asset, they would be receiving an immediate replacement for him as their starting point guard in Rubio. With his pass-first mentality, he would be a great fit alongside Beal in Washington.
Meanwhile, trading Rubio for Wall would be a huge gamble for the Suns. Wall may have already shown a massive improvement during his rehabilitation, but it would still take plenty of time for him to regain his All-Star form. Also, his arrival would dramatically affect the team’s salary cap flexibility in the years to come.
However, when he is 100 percent healthy, Wall would undeniably be an incredible addition to the Suns. He would give them a very reliable scoring option, playmaker, and perimeter defender. Before he suffered an injury in the 2018-19 season, Wall was posting incredible numbers, averaging 20.7 points, 8.7 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. He would still need to make adjustments to his game to make himself a good fit with Booker, but once they build good chemistry, the league’s next explosive backcourt duo could soon be born in Phoenix.
