The Golden State Warriors might only be three games into their regular season, yet an upgrade at center already looks like an early need given a clear lack of faith from Steve Kerr in Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
The Warriors were linked to a potential move for 3x All-Star Bam Adebayo at the start of the month, but that doesn't appear at all imminent which means a reliance on veterans Draymond Green and Al Horford is likely to continue.
If Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office are looking at a cheaper alternative in the short-term, the obvious trade partner might be the Phoenix Suns who have a plethora of centers on their roster and who aren't necessarily in championship nor even playoff contention.
Suns may be an obvious trade partner if the Warriors want another center
In this calendar year alone, the Suns have traded for Nick Richards and Mark Williams, along with drafting Khaman Maluach with the 10th overall pick they got back from the Houston Rockets in the Kevin Durant trade.
Beyond that trio it's actually second-year big Oso Ighodaro who has started for the Suns through their first three games, with the franchise suffering back-to-back losses to the L.A. Clippers and Denver Nuggets by a combined 49 points.
Each of Phoenix's four centers make $6.3 million or less this season, meaning it wouldn't necessarily be difficult to match salaries in a trade. Given the youth of Maluach and Ighodaro, and the recent acquisition of Williams, Richards would be the most realistic to acquire after averaging just 7.7 minutes through the first three games.
The seven-footer averaged 9.5 points and 8.6 rebounds in his 36 games with the Suns last season, with his rebounding in particular something that could be of assistance to the Warriors as they manage the workload of Green and Horford.
It certainly wouldn't be as spectacular as acquiring Adebayo or Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, but it's also far more realistic and perhaps Richards' experience would make him a more trusted option right now than Post and Jackson-Davis.
The Suns are certainly in a position where they have an abundance of centers and could be sellers before the mid-season deadline, potentially giving the Warriors an opportunity to swoop and address their own big man rotation.
Phoenix's offseason interest in Jonathan Kuminga also makes for a fascinating sub-plot between the two teams, particularly when the 23-year-old becomes trade eligible again on January 15.