Jan. 8, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns point guard Shannon Brown (26) is congratulated by teammates center Marcin Gortat (4) and small forward Jared Dudley (3) while playing against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at the US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Bucks 109-93. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports.

The entire NBA is prepared to gear into that “11th hour mode” With the NBA trade-deadline now just a day away. The Phoenix Suns has been actively working the phone lines trying to make deals and the Suns has been consistently linked with the hottest name in the NBA rumor mill this season, Josh Smith. According to recent updates by multiple sources, Smith to Phoenix is a mere snowball’s chance at this stage in the game. 

Chris Broussard of ESPN’s magazine tweeted this earlier yesterday:

“Phoenix has talked with ATL about Josh Smith, but deal is very inlikely, sources say.”

“U never say never but source close to situation says Josh Smith to Phx 4 Gortat-headlined package is unlikely”

Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld tweeted this earlier yesterday:

“I wrote it three weeks ago (and took heat for it) and I’ll write it again: Don’t be surprised if the Phoenix Suns trade for Josh Smith.”

Marcin Gortat has drawn a lot of interest from other clubs but his value has been tanking since the end of last season. The most the Suns would be able to get for him at this point is likely a bit more than what the Suns got in return for Robin Lopez. The Suns would likely be able to get a future first-round draft choice, along with a possible future second-round draft choice and cash considerations as a throw-in.

Jermaine O’Neal has reportedly drawn a lot of interest from quite a few contending teams, especially the New York Knicks. The Knicks could use O’Neal’s defensive presence off the bench, and O’Neal’s overall production this season has been A-Grade too. O’Neal is averaging 7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks this season despite playing very limited minutes.

O’Neal has also posted a PER(player efficiency rating) of 16.85 this season, which is well above the NBA average of 15. O’Neal could be of solid value to any contender as long as he’s able to remain healthy like he has been for the most part this season in Phoenix; he missed a few games after the death of his aunt, and he missed a few games after discovering an irregular heartbeat. O’Neal’s contract situation(one-year, veteran’s min.) is also very ideal for a high payroll team like New York.

Sebastian Telfair is the most likely candidate to be traded given that he no longer has a role on the team. He’s been replaced by Kendall Marshall in the rotation as the Suns are trying to get Marshall more playing time despite the fact that Telfair is currently the better player. According to multiple sources, the Suns are asking for a future second-round draft choice in exchange for Telfair.

The Toronto Raptors has expressed interest in Telfair as has other teams that are in need of a back-up point guard such as the Lakers. However the Suns won’t help the Lakers out whatsoever, given that the Suns need the Lakers to miss to playoffs so that the Suns would be able to receive the Lakers lottery pick.

Chris Broussard of ESPN’s magazine tweeted this earlier yesterday:

“Sources: Knicks showing strong interest in Phx’s Jermaine O’Neal…Phx also talking w/Toronto about moving Sebastian Telfair”

“OKC aggressively shopping PG Eric Maynor. Asking price is high. Phoenix looking to move Sebastian Telfair to clear PT for Kendall Marshall.”

Shannon Brown’s name hasn’t been in the rumors mills much throughout the season, but under the current circumstances I suspect he could be on the move. Lindsey Hunter did not play Brown last night in the Suns win against the Blazers. In fact, Hunter gave Brown’s usual minutes to Wesley Johnson.

Brown has two-years(Including this one) left on his contract and he’s set to make about $3.5 million dollars annually which is very reasonable. One of the teams that I suspect that could make a run at Brown, are the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves currently don’t have  a single legitimate shooting-guard on the roster(Not a healthy one anyway) and it’s been reported that the Wolves have been aggressively attempting to move future first-round draft choices in exchange for established NBA talent.

Brown seem like an ideal fit in Minnesota as he would be playing next to Ricky Rubio. From an objective standpoint, Brown is certainly not worth a future first-round draft choice however the Suns and Wolves could very well work something out. The benching of Brown last night is a sign that Brown could be moved before the NBA trade-deadline on Thursday.

Then there’s Jared Dudley. Dudley has been a popular name in trade rumors this season and it’s not hard to see why. Dudley is a terrific shooter, tough-nosed defender, and has a very high basketball IQ; all attributes that could be of great value to any team. My assumption is that the Suns are reluctant to part with Dudley. Dudley has been on the Suns longer than any other player on the current roster, and he’s the glue guy on this young Suns team. But I’m certain that if a team out there makes the right offer, the Suns likely won’t say no. Stick and stay with SunNGun.com for all the latest updates.

Feb 11, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith (5) prepares to enter the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Hawks beat the Mavs 105-101. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

There hasn’t been another name that’s been uttered more on the NBA trade circuit this season than the name Josh Smith. Smith, who’s in his ninth season in the NBA is on the final year of his contract with the Atlanta Hawks and he’s set to hit the open market as an unrestricted free-agent this summer.

The Hawks have attempted to trade Smith for quite some time now, but Atlanta is currently shopping Smith as aggressively as ever, because should the Hawks fail to move Smith before the trade-deadline on Thursday, they risk losing him for nothing this summer. It’s a risk that any team that acquires Smith via a trade with the Hawks would also inherit. But to all the teams out there that are in the race Smith, including the Phoenix Suns, here are some “Pros & Cons” Of acquiring Josh Smith.

Josh Smith Pros: 

- An all-star caliber forward who excels defensively and can do it all offensively.

- Only 27 years old, and is in the midst of his prime.

- Great box-office type player who will attract fans to arena to watch his electrifying aerial demonstrations.

- Highly adaptable in any type of offensive system.

- Any team that acquires Smith has the advantage come negotiations time in the summer due to the bird-rights clause which gives whatever team that acquires Smith, the right to offer a longer contract(One-year) which means more money in Mr. Smith’s pocket.

Josh Smith Cons: 

- Has yet to make an all-star team. There could be an argument that he’s been snubbed multiple times but nonetheless, nine years in the league and he’s still yet to make an all-star team.

- Risk of losing him for nothing in the off-season.

- Unimpressive shooting percentages that raises concern given he’s a big-man(Career field-goal percentage of 46%). The issue stems from his shot selection more than anything else but the fact that he chooses to settle for 20-footers as opposed to dominating around the rim like he’s done so, as he shot 68.1% around the rim during the 2011-2012 season, is a bit of a red-flag.

- Desires a max-contract which is estimated to be about $90 million dollars over five-years; nearly the same contract Amar’e Stoudemire was given when he signed with the Knicks in 2010.

- Displays tremendous talent but hasn’t made huge improvements since his jump from his second season in the NBA to his third season in the NBA.

It’s obvious why any team would want Josh Smith. He’s a versatile combo-forward who can stabilize a defense and has been relatively productive each season he’s been in the league. However at this point, he comes with one too many risks for teams who are currently playing for draft position. That includes the Phoenix Suns, along with the Dallas Mavericks who are also in play for Smith.

Assuming the Suns add Smith to the roster, Smith would immediately help the Suns win a few more games this season, which could potentially hurt the Suns come the NBA draft this June. Three or four meaningless wins could potentially bump the Suns from the fifth spot in the draft, to the eighth.

Another thing the Suns would have to consider is Smith’s contract demands. Smith desires a max contract which would approximately be a five-year $90 million dollar contract for a player who’s yet to make the all-star team after nine seasons in the league? I don’t know about that one….

To sum up, the Suns should stay away from Smith, but at the same time it wouldn’t be astonishing if the Suns went out and got Smith in a fit of desperation. But the fact that Smith could walkaway for nothing in the summer and the fact that the Suns would likely have to surrender a future first-round draft choice to acquire Smith is a bit iffy.

The Suns own the rights multiple first-round draft choices for the upcoming draft this June. The Suns 2013 first-round draft choice is projected to be in the top-five range depending where the Suns sit in the NBA standings at the end of the season. The Suns should learn a lesson from what happened to the Nets last season around the trade-deadline. The Nets traded their own first-round draft choice to Portland in order to acquire Gerald Wallace, that draft pick turned out to be Damian Lillard.

However as long as the Suns don’t cough up their own first-round draft choice in exchange for Smith but instead gives Atlanta the rights to a future first-round draft choice that belongs to either the Lakers or the Timberwolves(the Suns own the rights to both picks), it wouldn’t be the worst deal in the world. The absolute worst thing the Suns could possibly do at this point is to trade away their own draft choice for this upcoming draft. Just look at the Nets, in retrospect, they traded away Damian Lillard to acquire an injury prone small forward who’s heading into his thirties; that’s a bad deal if there ever was one.