The NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching and the Phoenix Suns have already fallen victim to one of the most scandalous stories you will ever see.
No, Dillon Brooks is not going to the Los Angeles Lakers. They’re already in trouble with another former member of The Valley.
Suns fans want these three players gone before the deadline
There are some real trade candidates on this roster, and fans in Phoenix want them gone for some reason. They are all loved and have performed admirably, but this roster continues without them.
Nigel Hayes-Davis
It’s nothing personal, but to say one of the best players in Europe hasn’t succeeded in what was meant to be his NBA redemption story in recent seasons would be an understatement.
Nigel Hayes-Davis’ idea with the Suns was a good one. Veteran coming in and helping the youngsters learn the ropes while taking some of Kevin Durant’s minutes and giving this team about eight points and a few boards/assists every night.
Here’s a minute from Nigel Hayes-Davis: pic.twitter.com/pFhXh9jjIE
— John Win, III (@DarthWin) December 7, 2025
Instead, head coach Jordan Ott has built a much more competitive-than-expected roster that excels in all the ways Hayes-Davis doesn’t. They need tenacious defenders who will give their best every night, while Hayes-Davis’ skillset seems like a luxury in this group.
Grayson Allen
Suns fans will be sad to see Grayson Allen go, but the time has come. Coach Ott is quick to get the best out of younger guys like Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro, Rasheer Fleming and we even see some minutes from Khaman Maluach.
Royce O’Neale appears to be the ideal and cheaper player off the bench in future units, while Allen still has some trade value. If you shoot just under 40 percent of a career-high 8.2 effort from deep every night, you’ll stay in the NBA.
It just won’t be in Phoenix, as we’ve reached the crossroads of this roster where we don’t need Allen, his trade value remains stable, and injuries are starting to enter the picture.
Nick Richards
The most obvious guy to move before the deadline, but unfortunately also the hardest of the three to move. Nick Richards is a great backup center, but other organizations aren’t going to overpay for him.
He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so it seems unlikely he gets much more than a second-round pick. There was talk of a deal with the Toronto Raptors that would have saved them some money down the road, but that went cold.
So while some teams may fall short (including the Denver Nuggets in some ways), Richards isn’t impactful enough to give up anything of real value and everyone knows this. There will be a deal, but it will be a small deal for everyone involved before Richards hits the market again in the summer.
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