Should Trae Young Be Devin Booker’s Next Co-Star On The Phoenix Suns?

Should Trae Young Be Devin Booker’s Next Co-Star On The Phoenix Suns?

On today’s show, could Trey Young be headed to the Phoenix Suns? Should the Suns even entertain it? And if not Trey Young, then who will be the co-star to Devin Booker in the future? My guy John Voya joins us and we’re going to talk about it all next. You are Locked On Suns, your daily Phoenix Suns podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. What is up? Welcome in to Locked On Phoenix Suns. My name is Benjamin Garcia, credentialed Suns media member, covering your Phoenix Suns each and every day. Hey, thanks for making the Locked On Suns podcast your first listen on this beautiful Monday, technically Sunday night, but you get the drill. Don’t forget Locked On Suns is free available on all platforms, including YouTube. So, click that follow or subscri follow or subscribe button to do what thousands of Suns fans have already done. Become an everydayer and get locked on to the Phoenix Suns here each and every day. Today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time. Download the Game Time app today. Create an account. Use code locked on NBA for $20 off your first purchase. Joining me on today’s John Voida Monday, managing editor of Bright Side of the Sun and host of the Suns Jam Session podcast, my guy John Voida. What’s up, man? We are in August. What’s going on? We Listen, at least we’re in August. We we, you know, we got some football. Obviously, we’re not talking football here, but like the vibes could potentially be back this year. like even if the Suns, you know, aren’t a championship contender, you know, make the playoffs and then, you know, the Diamondbacks were just going to pretend that they don’t exist. The Cardinals as well, you know, they look kind of fun and frisky last night outside of that bad Kyler Murray interception. However, the vibes could be back in Phoenix being all led by the Phoenix Suns. How you feeling about that, man? August just just turning it around right in front of you. I’ll tell you, it’s so August, Ben, that literally before we started recording this, I was on ESPN 2 watching the AKC fastest dog championships at Fort Stewart, Georgia. You know, I mean, that that alone tells you how August it is right now. But yeah, vibes are definitely changing. And I think that it’s because the expectation of this team has changed and we are excited. Again, I I hesitate to use that word, but I I every year I do this to myself, right? the season ends, I’m like, “Whatever happens, I’m not getting excited about this team.” Until they give me a reason to be excited about them, it will not happen. And then the summer months come and it’s been almost to the day four months since the Phoenix Suns played basketball. They last played on April 13th. And now we are four months away from that. We’re two months away from the season starting. Two months and two weeks approximately. Uh in fact, this should be the week that they drop the schedule uh this upcoming week. and we’ll have a better idea of who they’re playing and when and how many national games we’re not on like Christmas. But you’re starting to get a little excited because you’re talking yourself into storylines. You’re talking yourself into theories and what success could be for members of this team and this team as a whole. And the more that you define what that success criteria is, the more you can be comfortable with what your expectations are with this team. And that’s why again I’m hesitant But darn it, Ben, I’m starting to get excited. You know, we’re only we’re only like two months away from preseason games being played. And I think they’ve only got maybe one, maybe two Suns preseason games that I’m sure you and I will both be at because we want free hot dogs and free dinner and of course to watch Jaylen Green play, of course. But you know, listen, when that comes down the line, we’re going to talk about all that. However, thank you for the love of God for telling me that we’re getting a schedule release later this week. And I can check off a show just like that. And just like how I’m doing with that show, I can check off this show because Trey Young reportedly not thrilled about what’s happening in Atlanta. And it’s got some Suns fans wondering, you know, despite them being absolutely broke. Not Suns fans, but the Suns itself. You know, I’m a Suns fan and I’m broke, so maybe it’s both. But Trey Young to the Phoenix Suns, let’s talk about it. Let’s discuss it. I want your opinion about it first. How would you feel about the pairing of Devin Booker and Trey Young together? So, let me start by setting the table for all the Suns fans out there so they so they understand why you and I are even having this conversation. Trey Young has two years left on his deal, this upcoming season and the following season, which is a player option. He’s set to make 46 million next year, 49 in that player option year. And he’s at that point where he’s just a little upset that he hasn’t been offered an extension to this point. And there’s bargaining going on with the Atlanta Hawks and with Trey Young. And what has fueled some of these rumors relative to him being upset is the fact that when all the Micah Parson’s drama that has been occurring with Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys has occurred, Trey Young commented on the tweet pretty much saying, “Yeah, you should pay guys early and often because you’re going to get a discount on those guys.” And given the fact that he has not received that extension with Atlanta, it throws up our antenna and we start going, “Well, hey, is he unhappy? Could he play in Phoenix? Could he play elsewhere? Now, chances are the deal is going to get done, and it could get done at any point this upcoming season. So, the likelihood of Trey Young coming to Phoenix is under 5%, under 2% in my opinion. But still, it’s a fun thought exercise to have and it’s one that I’m not absolutely opposed to. And I find myself kind of in a weird place saying that because I haven’t been the biggest Trey Young fan. I was a big fan of him at Oklahoma. I thought we had a chance at him in the draft. Obviously, that was the draft where we finished with like the worst record or the second worst record in the NBA. We ended up with the sixth pick, which we traded back and we eventually got Cam Johnson and Dario Sar out of the deal. But I really wanted Trey Young that year because I’m always a fan of facilitation and this was before Ricky Rubio, before Chris Paul and Devin Booker was in the point book phase and we were just like, dude, just get this guy a a facilitator next to him. Now, here we are all these years later, and I wouldn’t mind having him slotted next to Devin Booker because we need a facilitator, because we need somebody to set the table. Because the best version of Devin Booker is coming off the ball. It isn’t playing with the ball in his hands. And if you were to ask me who would I rather have, Trey Young or Jaylen Green, every day I say Trey Young twice on Sundays, which it happens to be today, even though you’re listening on a Monday. Yeah. So, what I would say is yes, in a vacuum, I’d rather Trey Young than than what the hard Jay. I don’t know why I forgot his name there for a second. That’s the guy who we’re going to go see him because he’s so memorable. That’s why. Yeah, exactly. So, yes, in a vacuum, sure, because neither guy is a very big player. Neither guy is a stout defender. So, I guess I’ll take the better shooter, I guess, and the much better facilitator. It’s not even close. Trey Young would be an absolute disaster, I think, in Phoenix because of what he’s going to be commanded because if you’re sending him to Phoenix, it’s cuz Phoenix is willing to offer him a max. I would be willing to guess that at least one team in the NBA out of its 30 teams would give Trey Young a max. And so, he’d rather go obviously to those destinations that would pay him more. And that’s you’re talking about the real low lives of the NBA, the Hornets, the Wizards, you know, those types of teams. Trey Young is interesting because he’s seen as this like sniper, you know, shooting the basketball. He’s not. Uh he shot 34% from three last year on eight and a half attempts. Yikes. He shot 40% from the field, 87% free throw line, which is obviously very good. And he actually does play like a lot of games to his credit. 76 54 73 76 63 60 81. So like he’s for the like he’s for the most part he’s playing enough games to be in the NBA honors whatever talks of everything. True shooting percentage. He shot 57.9. The league average is 57 and a half. So he’s about a he’s literally as average as it comes. He is, you know, we’ll talk about this in the next segment, like why it matters who Deon Booger’s next co-star is because it will likely be his last co-star in Phoenix trying to win a championship. Trey Young is not the person I’m willing to cash in whatever chips I have to make that happen, whether it’s money or actual assets, because he doesn’t do the things that cover up Devin Booker’s deficiencies. Both guys are bad defenders. I would argue Trey Young is actually a not even argue. He’s like a much worse defender than Jaylen Green. He shoots the ball. I mean, I guess I mean I guess like I feel a little bit more confident in in Trey Young shooting the three-point ball, but he’s actually not very good at it. He’s just okay. Uh he’s actually worse than Devin Booker in that aspect. Uh he’s he, you know, facilitates the ball well. I think he had 11 and a half assists last year if I remember correctly. 11.6. Yeah. So for all those reasons Yeah. Like for all those reasons, great. However, I’m not allocating a max extension to Trey Young when I, you know, don’t want to go, you know, crazy over the cap for Trey Young. And when you’re talking about money, I would rather Jaylen Green over Trey Young because it doesn’t cost me any assets and it’s cheaper significantly and he’s the bigger, more athletic player. So, although I’m not cool with either one, I I I I just don’t think that that is the right avenue to go down. I’m sorry. Sorry, I filibustered there, but I No, no, no. You’re fine. So, you talk about it is called locked on, sons, buddy. We’re locked on. Okay. We’re not locked off. We’re not locked in. We’re locked on. But if you look at Jaylen Green and Trey Young just offensively, and you mentioned the shooting numbers, Jaylen Green, it’s it’s pretty much the same thing. Like Jaylen Green take took what 8.1 three-pointers last season. He shot 35%. His true percentage last year was 54% from the field. So, if you’re saying offensively, oops, offensively that Jaylen Greens has better upside potentially as as an offensive player or a more efficient player, that’s not true. Neither of them are good efficient players. And I completely agree relative to the to the cap extension and just the schematics and on how to get him here, on how to get Trey Young here. The Suns don’t have anything to offer. every other team in the NBA, if they were to make a trade, right, you would have to include Jaylen Green in that trade because you’re trying to get up to 36 million, right? And you can do that because of aggregation. But if you go, okay, we’re going to give you Jaylen Green, Grayson Allen, that right there puts you over the financial assets to send out to gain him back at this point in time. And of course, there would be agreements like, “Hey, we’re gonna bring you here, then we’re going to offer you our version of the Max because you haven’t been with us this entire time.” But we don’t have anything to sweeten that deal. So, that’s another reason why this can never happen. It’s not like we’re like, “Hey man, take three first round picks and two second round picks and Jaylen Green and Grayson All three second round picks. Here’s three second round picks, Grayson Allen, and Jaylen Green.” So, from a pure transactional standpoint, it can never happen. But I do like the fit because again if you if you look at Jaylen Green and you look at Devin Booker and yes I do believe that Trey Young is probably a less willing defender than even Jaylen Green is. But the way that the Suns are building this out and what we are expecting next season is that that backcourt Jaylen Green and Devin Booker or in this new scenario Trey Young and Devin Booker are surrounded by longwing athletic defenders who will make up for their deficiencies and allow them to gamble a little bit more on the defensive end knowing that you’re going to have behind them a Dylan Brooks, a Ryan Dunn, a Mark Williams, uh you know Rashir Fleming if he can become a player that we hope he can there’s a lot of length that lies behind the Suns which allows you to guard a little bit more or or um I’m sorry be more flexible on the in the back court because that argument comes up over and over again, doesn’t it, Ben? Where it’s just like, well, he’s just not a good defender as a as a backcourt player. Who are the best backcourt defenders in the NBA? There’s not a lot of them. Yeah. So, give me a guy who’s going to give you some offense, but definitely give me a facilitator. Give me a guy who can chuck lobs up to Mark Williams and Ryan Dunn coming in off a back cut all day long. I’ll take that over a guy who’s, you know, a subpar defender because the majority of the league are subpar defenders at the in the backcourt position on at the point of attack. Yeah, let’s I I answer that question the other side of the break because I I also want to get into why are we having this conversation because I know people like Trey Young’s not coming here. I actually don’t think that’s actually a complete ax. No way, Jose. Is that going to happen because Matt Hishbiel like stars and all the other things? So, we’ll answer that. Also, if not Trey Young, what does the next Devin Booker co-star look like? Let’s talk about that and much more next. First, today’s show is brought to you by one of my favorite sponsors, although I do love them all. Game time. We’ve all been there logging on early and waiting forever for concert tickets to go on sale. only lose your spot for a show you’ve been dying to see. Live music should be about making memories, not dealing with the stress of ticket shopping. That’s where game time comes in. Game time makes getting concert tickets faster and easier than ever. Prices actually drop as it gets closer to Showtime. You can save up to 60% with their killer last minute deals. I know about this from experience. I went and saw Blink182 about a year year and a half ago. What do you app do you think I used the other ones? Now, I used game time because I knew getting closer and closer to showtime, I knew that the prices would drop. So, what did I do? Waited and waited all day knowing me and my wife were definitely going to go. Saved like a hundred bucks off of going to see one of my favorite bands of all times using Game Time. So, take the guesswork out of it. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets and show tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app today. Create an account and use code locked on NBA for $20 off your first purchase. terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code LOC KNBA. $20 off. Download the Game Time app today. Lowest last minute tickets, lowest prices guaranteed. You know, we didn’t plan for this, but I just can feel the comment section. Trey Young’s not coming, buddy. Yeah, you don’t you don’t actually know, do you? Well, I do think Trey Young is going to get traded. I think they’re not going to do it this season because uh I think they have a team that could actually win the Eastern Conference. They’re they’re like one they’re like one injury away in the Eastern Conference from winning it. And like the Cavs were the first seed last year. They fell off a cliff. I’m not picking the Atlanta Hawks to do it. But like if they made the finals next year, I’d be like, “Yeah, the Pacers just made it this year.” So I don’t think they’re trading them this year. I think that’d be malpractice because I I like their team. Tyson Daniels, uh Zachary Reese, Trey Young, Borzingis, the kid from Minnesota that they signed, Nikil Alexander Walker, like they have actually they have a pretty decent team. However, I’ve done my homework on this. I’ve asked a couple of people about Trey Young and they all said the same thing. We’re not so sure he’s a winning basketball player, not because he doesn’t want to be, but because he’s so small. And I remember watching mind the game right between KD, LeBron, and Nash. And they were talking about these small guys, man. You got to be a bulldog defensively. You don’t have to be Drew Holiday, but you can’t be a straightup net negative. And that’s what uh uh some of these smaller guys are. So, I actually do think it’s a strong poss, not strong, I actually think it’s it this the Suns have a seat at the table when the Trey Young discussion start. I just think it’s something that they should steer clear away from. And like I wanted to throw that out there because I don’t think the Hawks are gonna pay him, man, because they’re gonna have to give him a super max extension if I’m not mistaken. Yep. And they don’t want to do that. Yeah, you’re not wrong in any of that. I but I I do agree that they’re going to see what they have this season because they have done back flips trying to improve this roster and now it’s time to have the money meet the road and see if it actually equates to a team that can win some ball games given the fact that the Eastern Conference when you stop and you look around and you know Jason Tatum and you know you blink 182 you go where are you and I’m so sorry that I’m winning games now and that’s what they’re trying to do. But if they don’t, yeah, they are in the driver’s seat. They have the leverage right now and they can granted Trey Young has that player option next off season, but if he wants to exercise it, then they go, “Yeah, we can trade you at that point.” And that’s why this conversation we’re having becomes much more viable a season from now. And that’s a lot of these conversations that we’re having when we talk about you and I talk about Kaminga or Giddy or Cam Thomas or any of these restricted free agents or Trey Young. A lot of this is wait and see. And I know that Suns fans are ready to rock and roll. And it’s why I continue to preach that word, which is patience, because you don’t know how the league is going to unfold. We don’t know how this Trey Young situation is going to unfold. Will the Suns this time next season be in a better place to understand who and what they are and what they need to add next to Devin Booker to make to maximize what he can do to maximize the trajectory of this team and let other situations throughout the league play themselves out so when that moment is right the Suns can make the move. Is Trey Young the right move? Probably not. Is it fun to talk about? Yeah. If Trey Young came to the team I’d be just like you. I’m a big price for value paid guy and the price that we would have to pay for him, I wouldn’t necessarily see the value in it. And I know that the moment that that transaction would occur, I’d write on bright side that I’m not a fan of it. But here in hypothetical land in August, I’m locked on to the fact that I can I can sit here and play around with that thought exercise and I’m enjoying it. So yeah, Trey Young, he’s great. Whatever. It’s never going to happen. I’m cool with it. So we’ve got some friends all over this business and and you know, I didn’t want to go after Yeah. What am I saying? I definitely did want to go after them because I like them, but I like going I like going after people more. But uh uh my my some you know good pals over at PHNX Suns uh they put out a tweet or tweet and a trade and I want you to just tell me would you do this and then we’ll talk about you know potential Devin Booker guys as well. Trey Young a Kongwoo for Green Brooks Kamal Malawatch and I’m assuming all your second round picks. Would you Dude, you can’t do that. Like you can’t do that because I get I get what Trey Young is and I get who Aongu is especially through the lens the the the lens of a Suns fans cuz Aongu went for 20 effing rebounds against us when we played him last year. So all of a sudden he becomes David Robinson in our eyes but Dylan Brooks is an identity builder and Kan Malawatch has the potential to be your starting center for the next 10 years. We’ll see. Big men take time to develop and you have to do the right things relative to his development this season to set him up for success. Don’t just throw them in the fire. I have a whole article I wrote about how you should develop the rookies this upcoming season on Bright Side of the Sun. And I think that that’s the route you take versus the quick fix of Yeah, man. Give me some Aong Woo and Trey Young. Completely completely would not do that. Would you do that? No. Hell no. God, no. That I mean that’s that’s that’s like the Suns hang up the phone. And to be fair, I I I didn’t watch this show. I just saw it on Twitter, so I don’t know what the other guys said. But to be fair, like I’m looking at the very next tweet from Eric Rubin. He’s saying the only way the Suns get Trey Young is and it’s not worth it. And like so, you know, they might not be on top of I don’t want to go after him too hard. It is August. They’re making up content like I am as well. So, it’s just like it’s crazy talk, man. Then you’re talking about the same team we had last year plus Trey Young and Devin Booker and like Mark Williams. Like, God, that team’s so bad defensively. Well, yeah. That’s why Brooks like makes no sense cuz that’s why the one way the again I’m hesitant to say excited Ben. But the one thing that excites me about next season is seeing Jaylen Green and Devin Booker next to each other only can happen if you have a Brooks, a Dunn, and a Williams behind them defensively because it allows them to focus more on the offensive side and they don’t have to be amazing defenders because you have good defense. You don’t trade that out the door at the next shiny name that comes around. That’s that’s very to do. All right. Um, I pushed the segment segment over to the side because, you know, I wanted to dive deep into that potential Trey Young, uh, you know, why he could get traded, what he get traded for. Let’s talk about the next Devin Booker co-star. And could it be Jaylen Green? Let’s do that next. All right, we’re pushing Trey Young to the side. We’re probably both saying no, especially for what it could cost. What does the next Devin Booker co-star look like? And what I say, what I mean by that is the Suns are probably going to win a championship because they brought another person. Maybe it’s Ryan Dunn. God, if it’s Ryan Dunn, the Suns are in such a great I mean, they’re in such a great spot. Jaylen Green, Jaylen Green, they’re in such a great spot because they’ve got a team that they could just start building around. They’ve got cap space. They could bring in an extra guy. And then you’re talking about them being like the Atlanta Hawks team. that’s up and coming. Um, the Suns, what would they what do you think and I guess what they think is the perfect co-star to put around Devin Booker? You’ve seen multiple co-stars try out to be the the backup singer for Deon Booker and it hasn’t worked out. Uh, Kevin Durant, somebody who is an athletic wing who can score at Big Fans of us, too. you huge fans of both of you and I uh personally unblocked me just to tell me how much he hated me. That’s a different type of hate. Oh man, that’s a different type of hat. On the on the on the night where he scored 30,000 points two hours before the game, he’s hitting me up to tell me that I’m a clown. Like, oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t need to change the subject. That was No, no, you’re you’re fine. But I mean that so you’ve had this hyperefficient scoreer next to Devin Booker. You’ve had a facilitator and Chris Paul. Now obviously the facilitator is the one who the team flourished more around and Devin Booker flourished to the his highest levels around was the facilitator type because he could play off ball. So I don’t know if I could put a specific player next to it but I can start to build out an archetype and I kind of go down two different avenues. one is that facilitator because again I think to maximize Devin Booker you need to put him in a position to be successful and that position is the two guard in every capacity on offense and defense because for the last two seasons ever since Chris Paul left he’s been forced into either point book mode that first year with Bradley Beal or last year when Taius Jones came over he became a small forward and neither of those are you know the guy’s in his prime and you’re playing him out of position doesn’t doesn’t make sense so whatever the next player is it needs to make sure that Devin Booker is in that two guard position. Now, when you say Ryan Dunn, he in my opinion is the perfect type of player to make Devin Booker go to the next level if he really adds to his offensive game. Essentially, I’m thinking Scotty and Jordan, right? Jordan’s this amazing two guard. You have a wing defender who can score when asked. Uh, and add obviously the modern NBA, you have to have the ability to shoot the three. I think that that’s what you need. You need somebody who’s young, athletic, can defend all, you know, one through four. they can defend one through four, hide Devin Booker as necessary on the defensive end when appropriate and can score and be that complimentary score to him. And again, there’s that word excited again. I’m really excited to see sophomore Ryan Dunn and see what he’s done to his offensive game because even if summer league was just a sliver of his aggressiveness being stepped up that he can shoot, but more importantly attack the cylinder, I think that there’s good things in store for him and I’m excited, damn it, to see it. I’m I’m pounding the drum for Li Marin to come in and be a a two to to Devin Booker. Now, with that team, if it’s a championship winning team, I think we saw a team with two number TWs on it. I’m not going to get into my discussions about Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown. I I I think both players are very good. If you don’t call someone a superstar, that means they suck, I guess. But that Celtics team, I believe, is the first team to win a championship in like 15 years. If no, maybe since like the 2004 Pistons, where I don’t think they had a bonafide superstar, for people that are wondering, my superstar uh uh barometer is I believe the one through seven consistent best players in the NBA. Not oh, like we’re going to put, you know, Joel Embiid in the seven spot. the the seven players that you’re like regardless of this season, these are the best players in the NBA. I don’t care what anyone else says. I’ve got the championships. I’ve got the legacy to prove it. So those like those guys and you know get into those a different I don’t think Jason Tatum and JB Brown are those guys. I think that they are both really really really really good all players. They’re they’re right outside that range. Exactly. Just right outside of it. Right outside of it. Not they don’t they don’t suck. That’s not my point. Jason Jason Tatum in my opinion is a top 10 player. I wouldn’t say he’s top five to seven. No, I would I would I’d probably say I’d probably say he’s 10. Oh, dude. I Boston media was all over me after they that one game where Jay T didn’t play and the Celtics beat the Suns. But um because you know they looked just they looked, you know, potentially even better without him. But however, regardless, I think there’s a world where you can win a win a championship. We just saw it two years ago with the Boston Celtics that you put a really really solid team around two number TWs. I don’t think De Booker’s a one. I think Deon Booker could be a two on a championship. I agree. completely agree. If you can get someone like Larry Markin who could play the four spot, so he’s not asked to be a defensive stopper, but he could play the four spot. I don’t think he’s a bad defender at all by any means. And I’m going off of the last season where he was a all-star. Not the 2024, 2025, 23, 24 season where he shot 48% 40% from three. God, 40% from that’s just absolutely nuclear. 90% from from free throw. So like he was just shy of Kevin Durant. Yeah, dude. Of the 50 40 90 club. Yeah, but we just had this. But he but he had some deficiencies staying healthy and 23 points a game. He’s a younger player. He’s 7 foot. I believe he’s miscast in Utah. I think Kevin Durant was a perfect element for the Suns. However, I’m not blaming the front office for not putting the right team around him because Deon Booker and Kevin Durant both wanted the players that were around them around them. So, I think there needs to be a better constructure of construction of the roster. But someone like Larry, a bigger player who can knock the three ball down, something Deon Booker does not do consistently and can make teams pay in the painted area a little bit more. The things that Deon Booker doesn’t do, get to the rim, shoot the three ball efficiently, and like both would just be okay defenders. But if you can surround them around Malawatch, Brooks, Dunn, you’re talking about a team that has got a perfect like, you know, the the the like the perfect balance of a championship winning team. And you just got to stack good players on this roster like the freaking Celtics did and we’re going nine guys deep. So a player like that just a bigger player to do. So you know I I want to get into like you know why Li might not be that guy. But I I can already hear the comment section. Jaylen Green buddy that he’s our number two and he’s yet shown the ability to be a consistent number two player and be efficient. Do you believe in your heart of hearts? Maybe Jaylen Green does like step it up into another gear this year, but he’s more of a three than a four. Can Green be a number two on a championship winning team. Forget about his, you know, if he’s going to work with Devin Booker. Can he be just that, a number two on a championship winning team? Because that’s what the Suns would need. I think I would love for that to be true. I don’t think it is just due to efficiency. And now granted, he’s in a new situation around Devin Booker, around a different coaching staff, and maybe this is an opportunity for him to excel who he is as a player, but typically efficiency is kind of who you are. You don’t see guys really make a big jump from being non-efficient players to all the on high volume, mind you. It’s not like he was inefficient, but he didn’t get a lot of opportunity, right? That’s like the Ryan Dunn conversation coming out of college. It’s like, well, he shot like 20% from beyond the arc. It’s like, well, he took 16 threes, you know? It’s like, we need to see volume. He’s had the volume his whole career. He’s consistently inefficient. I think that Jaylen Green’s a great number three player on a championship level team. I don’t think he can be a number two. And I hope I’m wrong. I really do. I hope that he comes out this year and he showcases the ability to get to the rim tor increase his efficiency from beyond the arc and can be that scoring threat that will take pressure off of Deon Booker and other members of the Phoenix Suns offense. Do I see it as a reality? Again, I I I have to see it before I believe it, you know? Yeah. I’m a I’m such a Jaylen Green hater. I’m a realist. I’m a Jaylen Green realist, you know. And if you con if if people construe that as hate, I think that says more about you than it does me. Because again, I’m just going off of what I’ve seen in the past. And until I see otherwise, what what should make me think otherwise? Hope, dreams, it’s not going to happen. I need to see reality. I I think Green is a I think his top I think his ceiling is a number three which uh on a championship winning team is like really good like you’re talking about Shawn Marian like and like those type like just to relate them to Suns players like you’re talking about a Shawn Marian type player like I think could have been a number three on a championship winning team. Well like the the the Thunder just one right who was their number three. You you you’re arguing between Cadet and um Jaylen Williams. Jaylen Williams I don’t know. So, like if he’s like a Jaylen Williams type, then f yeah. That’s great. That’s what we need. You you you got your main scorer in Deon Booker. You put a quality big or forward Linon next to him. And Jaylen Green’s your number three guy who in spurts can just drop 20 in a quarter. I mean, that’s that’s a great place to live. So, that’s not a negative thing that you’re saying. Well, if you’re not calling them bonafide stars, it means you hate them. But I just think Jaylen Green I I would agree with you. Like, if you could just be more efficient from three, be a willing defender. I think it’s more you’re more about building Jaylen Green’s value to potentially trade him next year for a guy like Larry Markin. Yeah. But uh anyone of that nature, you’re trying to build up that team. So you’re seeing what you got next year with him, seeing how it fits, seeing if it works. If it does work, great and he does get more efficient. Fantastic. You’ve done a really good job garnering assets for Kevin Durant because you got Malawatch out of it in green and Brooks. But if it doesn’t work out, yeah, he’s still got a couple years left, 36 million each year. That it becomes more tradable next off seasonason. Two years, 72, that becomes a highly tradable contract. And hopefully he flashes enough that some team out there, probably Charlotte, because that’s the only team that we know how to pick up the phone and call and make transactions with anymore. But maybe they look at him go, “Yeah, we could put him, we can slot him in here next to Brandon Miller and Lonzo Ball or Lamelo Ball and Coniple. It makes sense for us.” So maybe that happens. Well, if Lavar has his way, it’ll probably be Lonzo and Jello as well. Uh, for Thank you so much for making the Locked on Sun Show a part of your daily routine. Check us out on all social media platforms, my guy, Darth Voida on Twitter. Follow me on all social media platforms, Bengarcia Show. Thanks for making the show a part of your daily routine. Check us out on all social media platforms as well as the show anywhere you get your podcast. for myself, everyone watching, my guy John Voida. We will see you guys, or at least I will see you guys later on in the week. Don’t waste your time on me. You’re already the voice head.

Trae Young to the Phoenix Suns? NBA trade rumors heat up as August drags on. But is the Atlanta Hawks’ star really the sniper everyone thinks he is?

Benjamin Garcia and John Voita break down Young’s surprising stats and debate his fit alongside Devin Booker. They explore other potential co-stars, including Jalen Green and Lauri Markkanen, analyzing how each could complement the Suns’ superstar. The conversation shifts to building the ideal supporting cast around Booker, weighing offensive firepower against defensive needs.

Tune in for insider perspectives on the Suns’ roster construction and potential moves that could shape their championship aspirations.

0:00 Intro: Trae Young to Phoenix Suns rumors
5:07 Analyzing Trae Young’s fit with Devin Booker
10:11 Feasibility of Suns acquiring Trae Young
15:12 Hawks’ potential to trade Trae Young
21:35 Ideal co-star for Devin Booker
26:31 Lauri Markkanen as potential Suns target
32:02 Outro: Wrapping up the discussion

📲 Follow Locked On Suns on TikTok
Locked On Suns https://www.tiktok.com/@lockedonphxsuns?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

📲 Follow Locked On Suns on Instagram
Locked On Suns https://www.instagram.com/lockedonphxsuns/

📲 Follow Locked On Suns on X
Locked On Suns https://x.com/LockedOnPHXSuns
Ben Garcia https://x.com/BenGarciaShow

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOSuns?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

📢 Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

Robinhood
Robinhood Gold provides the privileges of a high net worth for any net worth. These generous benefits are now available for only $5/month. The new Gold Standard is here with Robinhood Gold. Sign up at robinhood.com/gold.

Mint Mobile
To get the new customer offer and your new 3-month premium wireless plan for just $15 a month, go to mintmobile.com/lockedonnba. See Mint Mobile for details.

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

FanDuel
You can start the season with a big return on FanDuel. New customers can place a FIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS – if you win your first FIVE DOLLAR BET ! Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

#PhoenixSuns #DevinBooker #NBA