Suns get the upper hand after Lakers trade falls apart, leaving them short-handed

At least there’s one reason for optimism in The Valley right now.

The rivalry between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA’s Western Conference is undeniable, though it tends to favor the Hollywood team. The two franchises have shared some thrilling games and even playoff series over the years, but it’s usually the Lakers in purple and gold who come out on top.

This made the trade deadline especially tough for the Suns. Not only did they fail to convince Bradley Beal to join them, but Kevin Durant’s name was also floated in rumors during the final hours of player movement. Jusuf Nurkic was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, but the deal came at the cost of a first-round pick and did little to improve the team in the short term.

However, the Suns did manage to get some form of revenge with a Lakers trade falling through. Despite adding Luka Doncic at what was essentially the bargain price of Anthony Davis—who has since suffered an injury—along with Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, the Lakers weren’t done. They shifted their focus to the Hornets, with whom the Suns had already made two trades, aiming to acquire their own center.

That center was Mark Williams, the kind of big man the Suns would love to have but couldn’t afford. Instead, the Lakers offered rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round pick, and another pick swap in an attempt to acquire Williams. In other words, the Lakers gave up nearly everything that should have been part of the Doncic trade.

But things quickly took a turn after the deadline passed. Williams failed his medical exam for the Lakers, and even worse, it wasn’t his problematic back that caused the issue. For the Hornets, it was a significant blow since the Lakers now keep a solid shooter in Knecht, though he’s an older rookie, and remain without a true center.

The Suns are in a similar position, as they experienced a scare in their recent loss to the Denver Nuggets when Nick Richards left the game with a knee injury. Although Richards returned, without Nurkic in Phoenix, Mason Plumlee is the only reliable big man if Richards misses any extended time.

This is why there’s no sympathy for the Lakers in The Valley or anywhere else. While it’s still hard to believe Doncic ended up with the Lakers, acquiring a legitimate big man to cover defensive weaknesses for both Doncic and LeBron James would have been even more unfair. They dodged a bullet by not adding him, but their roster remains imbalanced.

It will be interesting to see how both teams cope with their lack of size in the paint. The Lakers at least have flexibility under the second apron to explore the buyout market for a solution—something the Suns cannot do. Not that they’ve had much success with this route in recent years. But hey, small victories.