Atlanta and Phoenix Exchanged Two Developing Forwards
On July 29, 2024, Atlanta acquired forward David Roddy from Phoenix for E.J. Liddell in a straight player exchange. Both athletes were young frontcourt prospects who had already experienced changes of team early in their careers. Atlanta had space to evaluate a physical wing, while Phoenix hoped the incoming forward could help its reserve group or offer developmental flexibility. The transaction did not include a first-round selection, a cash purchase or a future protected pick. It was an attempt by two teams with different roster circumstances to use an unsettled prospect in a different environment.
Roddy Was an Opportunity Rather Than a Guaranteed Starter
Roddy came to Atlanta with experience in Memphis and Phoenix but still needed to prove he could hold a regular NBA role. His strength and versatility created a possible niche, yet this trade did not suddenly turn him into a long-term Hawks starter. Only his actual time after the July transaction belongs on Atlanta’s side of the ledger; his previous Grizzlies seasons cannot be credited as new Hawks production. A moderate result is appropriate for a club that bought another look at a developing player rather than trading for a proven scorer or defensive anchor.
Liddell Faced a Similar Challenge in Phoenix
Phoenix received Liddell, whose earlier career had been interrupted by injury and limited NBA playing opportunities. The Suns did not acquire an established veteran with dependable postseason minutes or additional draft picks to offset the change. They acquired a young player whose physical tools made him worth evaluating, but whose position on a competitive roster was uncertain. His prior Pelicans draft position was background, not a separate incoming asset. Phoenix could move or waive him later in another personnel decision; those future moves need to remain separate from what the Roddy agreement directly delivered.
The Modest Retrospective Reflects Both Timelines
The small-scale trade gave both front offices a chance to reassess similar types of NBA prospects without sacrificing major assets. A retrospective should resist giving either organization a headline grade just because one player had a higher profile when drafted. Neither return produced evidence of a franchise-changing contributor through the immediate exchange, and neither club assumed a new long-dated first-round obligation. This is a case where a broadly even judgment captures the modest opportunity cost better than an invented outright victor or the original overoptimistic assessments of two reserve possibilities.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. Atlanta receives C+ for a fresh evaluation of David Roddy, while Phoenix also gets C+ for taking a developmental chance on E.J. Liddell. Neither player was acquired as a proven long-term starter and no draft pick changed hands. Earlier playing time with other clubs cannot be used to enlarge either franchise’s direct return from this July 2024 exchange.