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ORL receives: Tyler Johnson, Dario Saric, Elie Okobo and a 2021 PHX 1st round pick PHX receives: Aaron Gordon and D.J. Augustin
Why does Orlando do it?
Aaron Gordon hasn’t quite lived up to that new contract he signed and it also doesn’t appear he meshes very well on the court with Jonathan Isaac, who was having a breakout year before getting injured.
Having Tyler Johnson included in the deal pretty much gets them out of Gordon’s contract. Dario Saric could be a good front court partner for Nikola Vucevic, and he will be a restricted free agent this summer so they’ll have matching rights on any new deal. Elie Okobo is a young shooter with promising potential. They also get a first round pick. That’s not a bad deal for a player that hasn’t developed into the kind of star worth his outsized salary.
Why does Phoenix do it?
The two biggest needs on the Suns roster are arguably a starting power forward and a veteran backup point guard. This trade would satisfy both of those. Aaron Gordon is from the University of Arizona, so bringing him here could absolutely re-ignite his career; having Ricky Rubio as his primary table-setter could do wonders for him on offense. D.J. Augustin is a veteran playmaker that makes good decisions and can flat out shoot the rock.
This would be a good move and could bolster the Suns in their endeavour to end the way-too-long playoff drought that has plagued the franchise.
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