The Phoenix Suns went into this NBA free agency period with the hopes of signing restricted free agent Brandon Knight. On Wednesday, they made good on that by agreeing to terms on a five-year, $70 million deal to re-sign Knight. Then they surprised everyone by signing center Tyson Chandler away from the Dallas Mavericks. The Chandler deal is reported to be four years, $52 million. Now, the Suns made another move by trading Marcus Morris, Danny Granger and Reggie Bullock to the Detroit Pistons for a second-round pick in 2020. The trade is a clear cap space move as they make their final push for LaMarcus Aldridge.

The trade to free up cap space improves the team even without landing Aldridge. I believe that Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris had to be split up. The stats showed that they played better together, but Markieff never had any trouble until his brother came to town. The brothers helped create a toxic locker room with their entitled, petulant attitude, on and off the court. They claim they are best friends, but sometimes working with your best friend isn’t a great idea. The move is the cliched, addition by subtraction. However, if it helps them get Aldridge, then the move is absolute no-brainer.

Bringing in Chandler is a move that had to be made, as the Suns needed to get a bit older and wiser. He is a former Defensive Player of the Year and a tenacious rebounder. These were two qualities the Suns sorely missed last year. Perhaps more important than the shiny DPOY Award, Chandler brings veteran leadership and a respected presence in the locker room. It was so obvious the Suns were missing veteran leadership; Suns players admitted they were without a voice in the locker room. Chandler can also be a mentor to fellow center Alex Len, who showed promise last year, but still quite raw.

If the Suns come away from his frenzied free agent period with Knight, Chandler and one Morris brother (the better brother, for once) they still have improved the team. They have showed future players and the league they are committed to winning. These moves make sense on multiple levels, and if it helps land Aldridge, the Suns are again a contender in the Western Conference.

Eric Myers is a Phoenix Suns Beat Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericwmyers, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google