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It’s trade demand season, including one by former Suns forward Marquese Chriss

Remember that 2016 Draft where the Suns were so excited about Bender, Chriss and Ulis?

NBA: Phoenix Suns-Media Day Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA trade deadline is less than two weeks away (February 7, 2019), and players’ agents are publicly trying to walk their unhappy players right up to the trade block.

Last week, it was current Knicks forward Enes Kanter, who has been ushered out of every rotation he’s joined since being drafted by Utah in 2011. He was productive, but traded by Utah for spare parts. Then he was productive, but traded by Oklahoma City for the corpse of Carmelo Anthony. And now he’s productive, but out of New York’s rotation and demanding another trade.

Today, it’s Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans, who can’t seem to make Davis happy with their terrible attempts to make a contender in NOLA. Davis signed with Klutch Sports and now is on the verge of testing out the Eric Bledsoe model of agent management, where the agent places incredible pressure on the organization to trade the player or lose him for nothing (in a year).

But we here at Bright Side cannot afford to lose sight, among all these demands, of another player who wants a fresh, fresh start.

Chriss wants a trade

Former No. 8 overall draft pick and power forward of the future for the Phoenix Suns, Marquese Chriss, is now demanding more playing time or a trade from the Houston Rockets.

Chriss, still just 21 years old, has been a complete non-factor for the Rockets this year after being traded from the Suns, appearing in only 15 of the Rockets’ 49 games this season and never more than four in a row despite myriad injuries to the Rockets’ core.

Chriss’ productivity in those appearances has been poor, missing almost all of this threes and posting just under 2 points and 2 rebounds in 7 minutes of play on average. He just doesn’t fit Mike D’Antoni’s open system that requires smart play, good passing and confident shot-making.

Now Chriss wants out.

Within the report, here’s a quote from Chriss’ agent, Aaron Goodwin.

“Marquese didn’t ask to be traded to Houston,” Goodwin told Yahoo Sports. “The Rockets are a great organization and the kid has done everything they’ve asked of him to get on the floor. If it’s not going to happen there, we just want him to be treated fairly.”

Behind Clint Capela, the Rockets have given more minutes to Nene Hilario and Isaiah Hartenstein, and when Capela got injured and is projected to miss significant time, they signed a bought-out Kenneth Faried to play the pivot minutes ahead of Chriss.

Later in the article is a quick reminiscence of his heyday with the Suns, where his future was considered bright.

It’s a stark contrast from what he accomplished with the Phoenix Suns, when he became the third-youngest player in NBA history to accumulate 100 steals, 100 3-pointers and 100 blocks at the age of 20, following LeBron James and Kevin Durant. He averaged 21.3 minutes in his first two seasons with the Suns.

“I would hate to see a career derailed because teams feel he cannot play at the level he did before the trade,” Goodwin said.

Hmm.

What say you?

How do BSotS fans feel about Chriss’ stint in Phoenix?

Did we feel that Chriss’ star was rising, and that the only problem he’s now seeing in Houston is because he’s being held back by the coach and GM?

Should the Suns seek to reacquire Chriss to play alongside, or ahead of, Dragan Bender again?

Poll

Should the Suns reacquire Chriss?

This poll is closed

  • 29%
    Yes, to play him ahead of Bender or next to Ayton/Holmes
    (335 votes)
  • 70%
    No! Chriss already wore out that welcome here
    (818 votes)
1153 votes total Vote Now

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