Expect the Suns to focus on adding frontcourt help in the draft and during free agency, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), who points out that the team could really use a power forward after agreeing to trade Kevin Durant to Houston and also needs either a starting or backup center.
As a result of adding Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks in the Durant deal, Phoenix’s roster is heavy on wings, with Green now part of a group of shooting guards that includes Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Grayson Allen, while Brooks joins Royce O’Neale and Ryan Dunn at small forward. Cody Martin, who has a non-guaranteed $8.7MM salary for next season, could also be part of that mix if the Suns decide to hang onto him.
The Suns have gauged the trade market for Allen and O’Neale, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports, so moving one of them could help clear the logjam on the wing.
Up front, meanwhile, Phoenix likes both Nick Richards and Oso Ighodaro, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports, and the expectation is that Richards will have his $5MM salary guaranteed, per Scotto. However, Richards probably fits better as a backup than a full-time starter, while Ighodaro is entering his age-23 season and still needs time to develop.
Unless they’re able to shed significant salary, the Suns will only be able to offer minimum-salary contracts to free agents, but they now control four draft picks this week, including Nos. 10 and 29 in round one.
Here’s more on the Suns:
- Within a story that extensively breaks down the Durant trade and its impact on the rest of the Suns’ roster, Bourguet says he expects the team to decline Vasilije Micic‘s $8.1MM team option and suggests Martin could be an odd man out as well for cap/tax reasons, though the club does like him. Scotto confirms that Phoenix will likely turn down Micic’s option and waive Martin unless one of their salaries is needed for a trade.
- In that same PHNX Sports story, Bourguet notes that Brooks will bring some “swagger” to the roster that the Suns have lacked since Jae Crowder and Chris Paul departed, confirms that the plan is to hang onto Green rather than flipping him to another team, and briefly explores what the front office will do with Beal, since finding a trade for him feels unlikely.
- The Suns had won between 45 and 64 games in the four seasons prior to 2024/25, but the Durant trade feels like it could be the beginning of a difficult stretch for the franchise, writes Doug Haller of The Athletic.
- Eric Koreen and James Jackson of The Athletic teamed up to discuss what the Durant trade means for Phoenix going forward, with Jackson expressing surprise that the Suns weren’t able to extract either more young talent beyond Green or additional draft assets besides this year’s No. 10 overall pick.
Spurs should grab dillon brooks and grayson Allen from suns to put with sochan. Three crazy guys on the same team lol.
I could see Phx going after Mark Williams. Cha can take more money and Marks match is only 6.2
Royce and one of those meh firsts wouldn’t sway me if I’m Cha but Cha may just view this year as asset accumulation mode and sign off.
G.Allen+ Oso for Gafford+O-Max
Or Allen for Bitadze+Howard
I’m not at all surprised that the Suns weren’t able to extract more young talent from Houston, but I’m not very troubled by it either. They needed to complete the trade prior to the draft, not many teams were interested, Miami was basically offering the 20th pick and Wiggins, the Wolves were offering their first round pick and Donte and Gobert but KD didn’t want to go there and Gobert is Gobert…They really had no leverage and came away with the 10th pick and a couple of guys who might be useful/valuable trade chips at some point in the next year.
I hope Micic can go play somewhere that respects him.
I do wonder what the value of Beal’s contract will be the year after next. This upcoming season it’s attires but after that it’s an expiring 50+ million dollar deal.
I wonder if a team like Brooklyn or Washington that aren’t going to contend next year would be willing to take Beal, the 29th pick and the other 1st PHX got from the Utah deal as well as a couple of the 2nd round picks they just got to take Beal’s salary for a year. Then when his deal is expiring flip his deal for another bad contract with assets attached. Could be an interesting way for a non contender to add 3-4 first round picks simply through manipulating bad contracts. Just an idea