Suns trade for shooting guard Shamet from Nets for Carter, 29th pick

Today, the Phoenix Suns acquired shooting guard Landry Shamet from the Brooklyn Nets for Jevon Carter and the 29th pick in today’s NBA Draft.

Shamet is a veteran of 31 playoff games, including 10 starts. He has had a playoff rotation spot in each of his three seasons with the Clippers and Nets, after being traded mid-season as a rookie from the 76ers in the Tobias Harris trade.

This is the 4th time Shamet has been traded in his young career.

And just like that, Suns GM James Jones doesn’t have to know any more about the players in the draft than most of us did. The Suns no longer have a pick in the 2021 Draft.

The report comes from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN

The young shooting guard has career averages of 9.2 points per game, with just under 2 assists and rebounds, in 24 minutes per game.

Shamet, still just 23 years old, fits the Suns young core as a shooter (39.7% three point shooter in 3 seasons) who can come off the bench, or play with the starters, run off screens and catch-and-shoot with the best in the league. He is not great as a defender, but does not embarrass himself either. He will likely soak up 4th-guard minutes behind Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Cameron Payne.

Shamet came out of the same draft as Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges, taken with the 26th overall pick by the 76ers. He played half his rookie season with the Sixers at the same time Monty Williams spent a year as an assistant coach, before being traded in the big Tobias Harris trade. Shamet was so good as an early rookie for the 76ers, he was one of the prizes of the deal for the Clippers.

He will be a restricted free agent next summer, giving the Suns flexibility when they are facing luxury tax issues because Ayton and Bridges are up for extensions. Carter had been guaranteed his $3.925 million that year and the 29th pick would also have had over $2 million in guaranteed money next season as well.

Suns owner Robert Sarver has already planned to pay the luxury tax after the extensions for Ayton and Bridges, but likely wants as much roster flexibility as possible after another year of the young core playing together with Chris Paul, who is very likely to re-sign with the Suns next week.

At the moment, the Suns no longer have a pick in tonight’s draft, but with Shamet still just 23 years old he fits the ‘old rookie’ mold of Cameron Johnson and Ty Jerome in recent years.