NBA off-season 2022: Phoenix Suns considering trading into top 10 of the Draft

With Deandre Ayton’s free agency looming, NBA’s Pheonix  Suns may trade Cameron Johnson for the eighth pick and save money to sign Ayton.

The Phoenix Suns may look to save money and make a trade for a top-10 pick in exchange for Shooter Cameron Johnson. Johnson was an important piece off the bench for the suns as it had a franchise record for regular-season wins. In the 2022 Playoffs, the Suns went to the second round. Despite leading the series 2-0 and 3-2, it would lose to the Mavericks in seven games. ESPN’s Johnathan Givony reported a potential trade between the Pelicans and Suns, which would send sharpshooter Johnson to the Pelicans, while the Suns will receive the eighth pick. The reason the Suns would consider trading Johnson for a rookie has a massive role with the Suns’ cap space.

The Suns are paying the trio of Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Mikal Bridges over 80 million per year in at least the next two seasons. Johnson, drafted in 2019, will become a free agent in 2023 and is expected to garner around $20 million per year. Meanwhile, the Suns would re-sign DeAndre Ayton on a max contract in such a scenario, according to Givony. Such a trade would help the Suns lower its cap spending and potential luxury tax. Johnson would be another addition to a stacked core that is ready to compete for the Pelicans.

Jonathan Givony reported, “The Phoenix Suns are said to be one of the teams potentially looking at trade scenarios here, possibly including a player like Cameron Johnson to free up salary-cap flexibility to keep Deandre Ayton. New Orleans has four surefire starters and a plethora of young talent at every position, giving it tremendous depth and role players to plug virtually any hole.”