There is no doubt that the Phoenix Suns had an underwhelming trade deadline, especially when compared to the massive moves rival franchises ended up making. The Los Angeles Lakers were the big winners as they somehow managed to add Luka Doncic, although they weren’t the only organization making moves.
Jimmy Butler – who the Suns pushed for weeks to try and land – ended up heading to the Golden State Warriors, while De’Aaron Fox has already made a positive impact in his new home with the San Antonio Spurs. All of this, while the biggest news out of Phoenix as the deadline approached was if they would move on from Kevin Durant.
The Lakers got one over late in the day on the Suns too.
That’s because they phoned up the Charlotte Hornets – who the Suns had a pair of trades with in the last few weeks – and convinced them to part with center Mark Williams. This was surprising, given the Suns themselves had taken backup big Nick Richards off their hands for Josh Okogie, before dumping Jusuf Nurkic on them in the final hours before the deadline as well.
It is not just that the Lakers got an even better from the same franchise that the Suns had done a pair of deals with, although that fact alone does hurt. Williams is only 23-years-old and has all of the tools and the massive frame to be the athletic big that Doncic and LeBron James will need to mop up the defensive lapses they are sure to produce each night during the regular season.
