Suns’ Okafor Key Piece for Trade Bait?

Whoever deals for (Emeka) Okafor before the trade deadline will receive an insurance payout of $5.7 million – roughly $141,000 per game.

For the Suns, the appeal of Okafor’s financially friendly deal – armed with approximately $5 million in remaining salary-cap space – has general manager Ryan McDonough on the search to fortify his roster for a playoff run. Despite the loss of point guard Eric Bledsoe to knee surgery, the Suns – 25-18 and holding the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoff chase – are determined to reach the postseason.

The Suns have expressed a willingness to absorb a veteran player on a short-term deal who wouldn’t compromise the organization’s ample salary-cap space for the future, league sources said. As rival teams explore ways to shed payroll and avoid luxury-tax payments, the Suns could have a multitude of deal possibilities to consider over the next few weeks.

via Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports