Everybody’s talking about the Milwaukee Bucks right now, and rightfully so, as they swung for the fences and got one of the best players in the league.
Damian Lillard’s addition to the core of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez obviously makes them the clear-cut favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference.
But that trade also had a huge effect on the Western Conference, as James Jones also managed to make the most of Deandre Ayton’s big contract.
The Phoenix Suns flipped Ayton and turned him into Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Keon Johnson, and Nassir Little, and they now have one of the deepest rosters in the game.
That’s why Los Angeles Lakers Magic Johnson took to Twitter to congratulate them on this huge move, adding that they’re now the second-best team in the West, trailing only the Lakers but still ahead of the Denver Nuggets.
The Phoenix Suns got a lot better and a much deeper roster with Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson. The Lakers are the best in the West followed by Phoenix and Denver behind them.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) September 27, 2023
Of course, Johnson is a little biased, which is why he would never admit that, objectively, both the Nuggets and the Suns are ahead of the Lakers.
This was yet another uber-aggressive move from the Mat Ishbia regime.
Ishbia has left no stone unturned in his pursuit of an NBA championship since he bought the team, taking a ‘hands-on’ approach and making sure his team is involved in every big deal.
There were doubts about Ayton’s commitment to the organization, and the Suns have clearly beaten the ‘no depth’ allegations.
They could still use an improvement at the point guard position, but that team is looking deep right now.
NEXT: Jusuf Nurkic Has Big Reaction After Being Traded To The Suns
