The Phoenix Suns appear to be targeting just about every available player before the Feb. 20 trade deadline. The team was not expecting to be contending for a Western Conference playoff spot at this point in the season, but here they are sitting at No. 6 and looking to beef up their roster for a strong postseason run.
After engaging in negotiations for Los Angeles Lakers big man Pau Gasol, the team is setting up a plan B for Zach Randolph. Right now, the Suns are getting offered players that teams no longer want on the roster anymore. They have been offered Evan Turner, Carlos Boozer and most recently, Gasol. However, Phoenix wants a star that can actually contribute rather than play a few minutes and have their contract expire.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders and David Aldridge of NBA.com are reporting Phoenix like Randolph despite the Memphis Grizzlies not putting the big man on the market. Trade rumors have been brought up in regards to Randolph before. That did not make him too happy.
"Go figure," Randolph said, via NBA.com. "Memphis is a place that I've come to love and call home and it's where I would definitely like to retire. I haven't made any secret of that. Everybody out there knows how I feel. I look at it like this: I understand it's a business. I really do understand that. This is a small market team and money plays a factor. I understand all that. It's different now. I don't know if it's just changes in (salary cap) rules or just a change in the way of the world. Like I said, it's a business."
Randolph has a player option in his contract that could pay him $16.8 million next season. In the approaching offseason, he could either take the option of opt out of his contract and hope to sign a long-term deal either in Memphis or somewhere else. Randolph has said he intends to remain in Memphis, but again, the NBA is a business.
The big man would be the perfect fit in Phoenix and likely just what the team needs. The Suns could offer up a player like Emeka Okafor in return, along with draft picks for the veteran. Right now, negotiations are going nowhere, but if Phoenix grows desperate, anything is game.
Interest in Randolph comes after the latest injury to Gasol. The forward is expected to miss at least another week of games and Phoenix would ideally like to see how he returns before making a deal. Waiting too long could hurt any other trade packages.
