Empire of the Suns trade deadline preview: Jared Dudley

Empire of the Suns will be taking a look at Phoenix’s five most likely players to be moved prior to the NBA’s trade deadline on Feb. 8. We tipped off our series with a peek at Greg Monroe, then took a look at Tyson Chandler’s value.

Now, we’ll discuss the Suns’ other vocal veteran leader.

Player: Jared Dudley

Age: 32

Contract situation: $10 million this year, $9.5 million in the final season of his deal next year

Role on Suns: Reserve forward

Season stats: 20 games played (of 46 Suns games), 12.5 MPG, 2.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.6 APG

Current standing

After playing 64 games for Phoenix last season and losing his starting job to then-rookie Marquese Chriss seven games into the year, Dudley’s has taken even more of a backseat to the Suns’ youth movement in 2017-18. He’s receiving half of the playing time and began the year sidelined due to offseason toe surgery.

Shooting 38 percent from deep, he’s an intelligent passer and floor spacer on offense. Defensively, he’s smart enough to make a positive impact. To some degree, he’s similar to Tyson Chandler, whose chatter helps educate and keep the young players in the right spots.

Trade outlook

Kellan Olson:  The question isn’t why a playoff team would want Dudley, but how much he moves the needle for one. That’s relevant because of his contract.

As an eighth or ninth man, can teams find a way to fit him in?

Dudley has said time and time again he’s happy with his role and the Suns could only hope for a similar return like they got on P.J. Tucker from Toronto – two second-round picks.

Like Chandler, if Dudley wants to leave, the Suns should let him go win, but there’s a necessary symmetry missing for a deal to work.

Kevin Zimmerman: Like Chandler, trading Dudley will require finding a team in the playoff hunt that needs a specific role player.

Dudley won’t hurt a team on the defensive end, fits in any offense and will help stretch the court. He’s an easy addition into a winning locker room but could also add leadership to a young, up-and-coming team.

The Toronto Raptors don’t have many good contracts to hand Phoenix, but in a year where the Eastern Conference looks open with Cleveland struggling, any edge over a team like the Boston Celtics could make the Raps buyers.

Considering they’re a bottom-5 three-point shooting team relying on the bouncy Pascal Siakam as a backup power forward, adding Dudley as a better offensive option could be worth getting a third team involved.

The Philadelphia 76ers have two contracts — forward Amir Johnson’s $11 million expiring deal and Jerryd Bayless’ $9 million per over two years — that are tradeable. Speaking of which, the Sixers would like to make a playoff push and could use Dudley alongside a bigger backup forward option in Trevor Booker.

Indiana is another landing spot as an upstart squad hoping to make the postseason, and Dudley’s last team, Milwaukee, desperately needs bench help as it attempts to stay afloat following the firing of coach Jason Kidd.

The Bucks are missing forward Mirza Teletovic, who suffered his second career scare with blood clots in his lungs and is out indefinitely. Dudley could fill that role that they’re desperately in need of.

Likelihood of being traded: 3/10