Report: Morris being shopped, Raps interested in Tucker, Bucks looking at Teletovic
Feb 18, 2016, 9:28 AM | Updated: 9:29 am
Phoenix Suns forwards P.J. Tucker, left, and Markieff Morris smile as they sit on the bench as the Suns pull ahead of the Denver Nuggets during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Nov. 20, 2015, in Denver. Phoenix won 114-107. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
As always, Suns general manager Ryan McDonough is waiting until the last minute.
McDonough made a flurry of major moves on the day of the trade deadline last season and with a decent amount of players more suited for a playoff team, many expect the same lightning round of deals on Thursday.
ESPN’s Marc Stein reported some buzz Thursday morning, including the first of it including forward Mirza Teletovic.
Among the many things Phoenix is discussing today, sources say, is dealing Mirza Teletovic to Milwaukee. But the… https://t.co/rhYfigozm0
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 18, 2016
Teletovic’s name appearing in trade talks should be no surprise. He ranks second in the NBA in three-point percentage among all power forward at 40.5 percent.
His shooting would be a boost to any playoff team.
He also reported the Toronto Raptors as one of the teams interested in forward P.J. Tucker, which Stein has already reported in the past.
The Suns, of course, continue to shop Markieff Morris and have been fielding interest from Toronto (among others) in PJ Tucker for some time
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 18, 2016
ESPN sources say Toronto is among the teams expressing trade interest in Suns swingman P.J. Tucker in advance of the Feb. 18 trade deadline
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 3, 2016
The major void of wings in the NBA brings a certain value to Tucker, especially with the style of his play being perfect for playoff basketball.
Of course, no trade talk is complete without the discussion of Morris. The story of the day is going to be whether or not Morris is traded, but his current contract situation and the state of the Suns leaves them in no rush to trade him between now and the summer.
There is no saving of the 2015-16 season and if McDonough believes he can get more for Morris in the summer, he’s probably going to wait.
With a large percentage of NBA teams having max cap space this offseason, some front offices are inevitably going to end up disappointed in their free agency period and will look to improve their team elsewhere. That’s where the Suns can look to take advantage if the moves don’t come on Thursday.
