Brian Windhorst and a team of ESPN's Insiders sort out life and the news from in and around the NBA world, including potential trade season limbo in Phoenix, a polarizing player in Memphis and the rising play of a Dallas big man.
The Phoenix Suns are operating in an unusual world, interested in making a trade for needed depth in an environment with three quasi-owners at the moment.
Current owner Robert Sarver is suspended, selling the team and, even though he's barred from communicating with anyone, still in control of any trades that surpass a certain agreed-upon dollar amount.
Acting governor Sam Garvin is in charge of the day-to-day and said he has a sign-off on trades, but only to a certain point. And Mat Ishbia has an agreement to buy the team and is preparing for a midseason takeover, but it's not expected he will be through the vetting process before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
To understand why the Suns haven't yet been able to find a deal for disgruntled forward Jae Crowder as injuries have ravaged the team and disrupted a 20-18 start, Phoenix's ownership morass is a contributing factor.
When NBA commissioner Adam Silver suspended Sarver in September, the league office laid out a series of rules regarding his involvement with the team for the next year. Some of these provisions, particularly those preventing changes to top positions on the business side of the operation without Sarver's approval, have been reported on extensively by ESPN's Baxter Holmes.
But one key provision has given Sarver a remaining piece of power.
