Phoenix Suns coach Jeff Hornacek talks trade deadline possibilities
Feb 17, 2015, 5:25 PM | Updated: 5:26 pm
In 2011, the Phoenix Suns made a deadline deal that sent guard Goran Dragic and a first-round pick to the Houston Rockets for Aaron Brooks.
The trade was consumated while the Suns were on a plane heading for a road game.
With the team scheduled to play in Minnesota Friday night — and the trade deadline being Thursday — it’s possible it could happen again.
“It’s just the way it is,” Suns coach Jeff Hornacek told Doug and Wolf on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Tuesday morning. “We’ll be on a plane at that time so we might get a call saying, ‘Hey, tell this guy or that guy.'”
According to some reports, that possibility is more of a likelihood.
The Suns have a 29-25 record and are sitting in the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot, but are just a half-game ahead of ninth-place Oklahoma City and 1.5 games in front of 10th-place New Orleans.
Just last week, Suns GM Ryan McDonough said the team’s roster balance was off, and president of basketball operations Lon Babby said it would not surprise him if the Suns ended up making a trade.
Hornacek is not sure what is going to happen.
“Typically what happens, you hear all kind of talk and all kind of banter, and Ryan and Lon are probably talking to every team in the league just to see what’s out there, and if they feel something’s going to make us better they’ll do it,” he said. “But typically you hear all this talk and then nothing really happens, so is there some minor things that happen? Possibly.
“Is there anything major that’s probably on the board? Who knows.”
The second-year coach said McDonough, Babby and team owner Robert Sarver will consult him some on potential trades, looking for his thoughts on certain players they may be interested in. But often times while they may decide a player on another team would make them better, it then becomes a matter of being able to acquire him.
When asked what kind of player he would not mind the team adding, if a deal was to get done, Hornacek said someone with a little experience who could bring some much-needed leadership to the Valley.
“With a bunch of young guys and not very talkative guys that we have on the team, that would be helpful,” he said. “But we’re hoping one of our young guys can develop into that over the years, but if you get that sooner than later, the better.”
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