The deal
Raptors get: Forward P.J. Tucker
Suns get: Center Jared Sullinger, Toronto's 2017 and 2018 second-round picks
Toronto Raptors: A
The Raptors have been linked to Tucker since before last year's deadline. By waiting Phoenix out, Toronto got its guy at a great price. The Raptors' 2017 second-round pick would currently be No. 51, and I'd bet on that getting worse rather than better now that Toronto has added both Tucker and Serge Ibaka. There's a little more uncertainty with the Raptors' 2018 second-round pick, but it's unlikely to fall in the top half of the round.
Tucker immediately becomes Toronto's best defensive option at either forward spot. He's primarily been a wing stopper for the Suns, but lately Phoenix coach Earl Watson was using Tucker to finish games against top power forwards -- something the Raptors might also ask him to do in smaller lineups alongside either Ibaka or Patrick Patterson in the middle.
In particular, Toronto probably expects Tucker to spend time on LeBron James if the Raptors face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the postseason. Adding Tucker and Ibaka now means Toronto coach Dwane Casey has a wealth of options for matching up with the Cavaliers' small lineups.
Lest we get too carried away, let's be clear that Tucker is also the weakest offensive contributor among the Raptors' forward options. He's a career 34.7 percent 3-point shooter who's shot 33.8 percent this season and who rarely creates shots for himself or others. Despite the hand-wringing about DeMarre Carroll's decline, Carroll's .544 true shooting percentage this season is better than Tucker's career high (.541; he's at .518 in 2016-17).
So it's possible Tucker might not make a huge impact in certain postseason matchups. He wouldn't seem to help much against the Boston Celtics, for example. Given the price, however, any contributions Tucker offers in the playoffs will make this deal a win for Toronto.
Phoenix Suns: C
The Suns have to be disappointed that no better offer for Tucker apparently materialized. Phoenix was reportedly holding out for a first-round pick, and that was too much to expect for a role player in the final season of his contract. But I'm stunned the Suns couldn't even get a second-round pick in the top half of the draft.
I think K.J. McDaniels and one of the team's second-round picks belonging to the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers would have been a better deal for both Phoenix and the Houston Rockets than the ones they actually made.
Sullinger needed to be in the trade to match salary. It's unclear whether Phoenix will keep him the remainder of the season or open up a roster spot by waiving him.
Anyway, there was no compelling reason for the Suns to keep Tucker for the remainder of this season, so any value in return is a positive from that standpoint.