A little over two years ago, Grayson Allen was somewhat unceremoniously dealt from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Phoenix Suns as a small part in a huge deal that landed Damian Lillard in Milwaukee and Deandre Ayton in Portland.
There were numerous players involved in the deal, and Allen — one of many who were shipped to Phoenix — was no longer a Buck after two good, if somewhat unremarkable seasons.
Now, in his third season with the Suns, Allen has the biggest opportunity of his career, and he's making the most of it, posting career-highs nearly across the board and helping the Suns become one of the more fascinating early stories in the NBA. After parting with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in the offseason, the Suns were always going to need more from Allen this year — and he's delivering.
Grayson Allen is playing like a star for upstart Suns
Allen is not currently playing — he's sidelined with a quad injury — but his impact has been monumental so far this season. He's averaging 18.5 points per game, shooting nearly 45% from 3-point range, and playing more than he ever has before (32.1 MPG).
With Allen, you can't really claim he's just off to a hot start either, because, as Bucks fans know, Allen really is this good of a 3-point shooter. He shot over 40% from downtown in his time with the Bucks, but that's not even close to the outrageous 44.6% clip he's sitting at during his time with the Suns. That's not a small sample size, either! He's played over 150 games in Phoenix and has shot six 3-pointers per game! With the Bucks, he was a top-tier shooter and somehow wasn't even living up to his potential.
Luckily, the Bucks are doing just fine from the arc themselves. They are currently in the top five of both 3-pointers made and attempted, so Allen's presence isn't missed too much at the moment. Best of luck to a former Buck in his new venture — it's happening so far away from Wisconsin that it's hard to feel too intensely about it one way or the other.