Former Lottery Pick, NBA Champion Could Be Suns Trade Candidate

The Phoenix Suns could be looking to trade for a power forward after their efforts to land Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors failed.

Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley listed Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng as a trade candidate.

"The Thunder have given themselves much more significant objectives than mastering Dieng's development, which has felt like less of a priority with each passing year. And with OKC still in possession of what's clearly the league's best roster, it's hard to imagine things changing any time soon," Buckley wrote.

"He hasn't exactly forced the issue when given an opportunity, but his NBA sample size is so small that there can't be much value in breaking it down. His offensive efficiency could improve at every level (career 42.4/29.3/72.7 slash line), but maybe it would with regular touches and a defined rotation role.

"His floor time has decreased in each of the past two seasons, and with Oklahoma City's overwhelming depth, that's a trend that could continue. Unless, of course, the Thunder can sniff out a trade partner that has someone (or something) they want and the kind of opportunity Dieng needs to prove whether he's built for the NBA or not."

Dieng ended up with a team that simply had too many prospects. The Thunder drafted incredibly well and now they have players like Dieng that could make a strong impact elsewhere, including Phoenix.

It's hard to imagine a trade forged between the Suns and Thunder since Phoenix doesn't really have any assets Oklahoma City would want. Maybe the Thunder are enamored with Nick Richards and could complete a simple swap, but it's hard to imagine that happening.

The Suns should look to negotiate those types of deals where they acquire talent that has been buried on contending teams in hopes that they will shine in Phoenix with more opportunity.