The record fell from first in the West to twelfth in the West, and the Suns suddenly changed from a championship favorite to a fishbelly team, what happened? You know, since the team got Paul, it has ushered in a rebirth, the offensive and defensive combat strength has been upgraded to the championship level, and it has become the top team in the Western Conference regular season in the past three seasons; It can be said that Paul is the catalyst for all this chemistry, making the playing style of Booker and other young people mature, and making the Suns team resilient rather than a young team.
However, after Booker missed the game due to injury, the Suns' record began to decline; Just when fans were expecting Paul to return as a savior, he did not play as expected, and the Suns' record continued to fall. Now it seems that Booker is obviously a more important character than Paul, and he is the backbone of the Sun. Not long after Paul's comeback, he suffered a sore hip and a break, and the small flame that illuminated the sun was blown out again, and the Suns' championship this season has become particularly difficult.
Will the team choose to give up strategically? According to reports brought by Duane Rankin, Suns management hopes to get Conley from the Jazz through a trade, and is willing to give Paul and a first-round chip. The reporter went on to add that Suns management agreed that there was no hope of winning a championship this season, and Conley was clearly a better fit for the team than Paul at the moment, so that the healthy Suns could continue to compete for championships; And, both teams are interested in making a trade.
Duane Rankin also said that the same big contracts, Paul's contracts are easier to handle and operate; If the Suns are willing to take a first-round pick, the Jazz will agree to a trade, and the Jazz will buy out Paul. So you can probably understand that the deal is almost done, just waiting for Suns management to agree to send a first-round pick.
Why did the Suns put Paul on the shelf? Mainly considering that Paul lost the starting point guard and could not help the team play better; Coupled with the potential for injuries on his body, the management does not see the prospect of winning the championship. But Booker, Bridges, and Ayton's three cores are still young, and they are currently in the period of rallying, and the team still lacks a healthy guard who can organize and defend. Paul is also at the age of retirement, and when he loses his value, it is only a matter of time before he is abandoned, which is the cruelty of the NBA.
Who is Conley? He is one of the few classical point guards in the league in the past, not obsessed with offense, but good at defense and organization, but not without scoring ability. When he is needed to score, he can still step up and take over the game; Moreover, Conley is very healthy at the moment, and this is what the Suns like him.
What about the Jazz? Why would you be interested in this deal? This has to do with its goal of rebuilding, and the important thing now is to trade immediate power for first-round picks in order to get more leverage in the rebuild. Not only that, but Conley has a two-year, $47 million contract, which is a very difficult problem; If given the chance to send it away, the Jazz would certainly be more than happy to do so. A non-core player, can be exchanged for a first-round pick, Angie is very happy to think about it; Moreover, not all of Paul's contracts were guaranteed wages, which was very conducive to operation.
From the perspective of being abandoned after losing combat effectiveness in old age, in the NBA of commercial organizations, personal interests are still put first; Otherwise, when the thing that was traded happened to him, the star himself could only regret it, and what is the point of loyalty at this time? Perhaps, loyalty is more historical for superstars such as Kobe, Duncan, Curry and others who enjoy honors and receive super top salaries?