Suns to acquire E.J. Liddell from Hawks in exchange for David Roddy
Jul 26, 2024, 2:20 PM | Updated: Sep 3, 2024, 11:59 am
Phoenix Suns forward David Roddy (21) in the first ahalf of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Phoenix Suns have agreed to trade forward David Roddy to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for E.J. Liddell, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Liddell was shipped from the Hawks to the Pelicans on July 6 as part of the Dejounte Murray trade.
New Orleans drafted Liddell 41st overall in 2022.
At face value, the move for the Suns swaps jumbo forwards at the backend of the roster and gives them a small salary trim that will alleviate even more in tax money. Roddy was set to make $2.8 million in 2024-25 with a club option worth $4.8 million for 2025-26.
Liddell will make $2.1 million next season with a club option for $2.3 million the following year.
The 6-foot-6, 240-pound scorer has appeared in eight NBA games for the Pelicans after a productive college career at Ohio State.
He blew up as a junior with the Buckeyes in 2021-22, averaging 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 49% overall and showing improvement with 37.4% accuracy from behind the line that year.
It hasn’t translated to the pros so much, and a July 2022 ACL injury set him back as well. In 23 games with the G League’s Birmingham Stallions last season, Liddell averaged 17.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.
He shot 50.4% from the field and 27% from deep while taking 4.4 attempts per game.
Roddy’s 17 games played with Phoenix could highlight where Liddell falls in the pecking order — behind a perimeter-oriented rotation that includes superstars like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Veterans Royce O’Neale, Josh Okogie, Bol Bol and Nassir Little, plus rookie Ryan Dunn would eat up minutes at forward as well, though Liddell’s size and rebounding with a little scoring pop give Phoenix another unique forward option.
Roddy was acquired by Phoenix in the three-team O’Neale trade last February from the Memphis Grizzlies.
He has career averages of 6.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists over 135 NBA appearances. Despite being 23, he appeared to be fighting for his place as a member of the Suns’ Summer League squad this offseason.
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