The Phoenix Suns traded Marquese Chriss and Brandon Knight to the Houston Rockets for Ryan Anderson and De’Anthony Melton.
It’s tough to say who won this trade. My first reaction to this trade was confusion. For some reason it just didn’t sit right to me.
First of all, why are the Suns trading Chriss? Even though the Suns are terrible at developing anyone not named Devin Booker, Chriss was still a nice young athletic piece for that team of youngsters. It’s weird that the Suns decided to keep Alex Len for five seasons and keep the unproductive Dragan Bender, who was in the same draft as Chriss, but trade Chriss after only two seasons. Obviously Chriss has more trade value to most teams but the Suns need to get it together. How about we just move them to Seattle and clean house but keep Booker and De’Andre Ayton.
Then from the Ryan Anderson perspective, it seems as though the Suns are trying to 
become the Rockets as they have now added two players who played for the Rockets last season. Trevor Ariza will be a salary dumb by seasons end, consequently ending up back in Houston for the veterans minimum just in time for the playoffs. Anderson will not have that luxury however since he is signed on through the 2019-2020 season. Maybe the Suns decided they needed to add some veterans around their young guys like the Sixers did this past season with the addition of JJ Reddick. But I don’t think the Suns are as ready to contend in the West as the Sixers are in the East. Hopefully Anderson enjoys his two year vacation in Phoenix as they spend the next two seasons outside the playoff picture, even though for the sake of youth I want them to contend so badly.
Brandon Knight just doesn’t fit on any team. He needs to go play in a random place like Memphis or Orlando. However, knowing the Rockets they will probably turn him in to Eric Gordon Jr. and he will shoot 45% from beyond the arc next season. The NBA will even create an award for him called the 7th Man of The Year Award for him. Knight is the reason this trade was so random.
And then there was De’Anthony Melton. An under the radar player coming out of college
after sitting out a season at USC. He fell in the draft and can turn in to a productive player in the league. The Suns got a good piece. It’s surprising the Rockets let him go so soon. The winner of this trade will be determined by who has a better career, Melton or Chriss, since Anderson is a salary dump and unless Knight turns in to another Eric Gordon, he will be out of Houston soon.
Alex Sommerfield Sports Blog 