Could the Suns actually be trying to win?

I've been pretty critical of Suns owner Robert Sarver's attempts to destroy their franchise through penny-pinching decisions over the years but maybe I was too quick to assume he was going to throw in the towel on a competitive 2010-2011 towel too soon.

Having lost Amar'e Stoudemire as a free agent to the Knicks, the Arizona Republic reports the Suns are closing in on two separate deals that would land them Hedo Turkoglu from Toronto and Josh Childress from Greece via Atlanta.

For Turkoglu, the Raptors would receive Leandro Barbosa and Dwayne Jones (who would then be flipped to Charlotte for Boris Diaw). For Childress, a restricted free agent who played the last two seasons with Olympiakos in Greece, the Hawks would receive a 2012 second-round pick in a sign-and-trade deal with the Suns. The acquisition of Childress would come via a portion of the trade exception the Suns received in their sign-and-trade with the Knicks for Amar'e and he will receive a five-year, $33 million contract.

The 31-year-old Turkoglu was outstanding for the Magic in 2008 and 2009, as they rose to elite status in the East. He signed with Toronto last offseason and was horrible and asked for a trade. Now he'll go to Phoenix where he'll be able to bury wide open threes off Steve Nash penetration plays and be a huge mismatch as, at 6'10", the Suns could use him as a power forward. Childress played really for the Hawks three seasons ago as a swingman and defender before opting to sign a three-year deal in Greece. However, he was allowed out of his contract after two seasons and most figured the Hawks would let him go after insanely giving Joe Johnson a max contract.

So here's the Suns team right now: Nash, Grant Hill, Turkoglu, Childress, Robin Lopez, the re-signed Channing Frye, the newly signed Hakim Warrick, Jared Dudley and Goran Dragic, possibly Louis Amundson (currently a free agent) and draft picks Gani Lawal and Dwayne Collins. I have to say, that's a darn good team that has me re-thinking my prediction that Nash would ask out by February and could absolutely challenge for a repeat trip to the conference finals.