Suns Roster Move Required By Next Week

No NBA team is currently carrying fewer players than the Suns, who have just 14 total players on their roster — 13 on standard deals and one on a two-way contract. While Phoenix isn’t obligated to fill that second two-way contract slot anytime soon, it’s just a matter of time until the team will have to sign a 14th man on a standard deal.

NBA rules allow teams to slip below 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time. Since the Suns officially waived Isaiah Canaan last Wednesday, that means the team will have until next Wednesday, December 12, to get back up to 14 players on its 15-man roster.

The most likely outcome will see the Suns add a player on a non-guaranteed contract next week, fulfilling the league’s roster requirements without necessarily giving any assurances or making a longer-term commitment to that 14th man. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on Phoenix to see if the club uses its roster flexibility to make a trade.

The Suns have been in the market for another point guard for months, and have been linked to both Frank Ntilikina and Markelle Fultz since Canaan’s release. There’s no indication that anything is imminent, and if any deals happen, they’re more likely to go down after December 15, when dozens of players around the NBA become trade-eligible.

Nonetheless, the club is a strong candidate to make a move or two at some point this season — with its place at the bottom of the Western Conference all but assured, it makes sense for the Suns to be a seller and keep compiling assets for the future.

View Comments (4)