The Phoenix Suns are a talented team. They have depth at every position on the roster, and enough talent to compete for a playoff spot in the West. There is one small, or big, problem though, the Phoenix Suns do not have a star. They have not had a star player on their roster ever since Steve Nash departed in 2012, and at that time, it was debatable if he was even a star player. The Suns hope that a star will find his way to Phoenix this summer via trade or free-agent signing.
Free Agents
-Brandon Knight (Restricted)
-Brandan Wright
-Gerald Green
-Marcus Thornton
According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, the Phoenix Suns will re-sign Brandon Knight to a five-year, $70 million contract once free agency begins.
Gerald Green is as good as gone. He fell out of the rotation midway through last season and sort of seemed as if his relationship with head coach Jeff Hornacek was tarnished. He will likely get a nice contract from a team who will offer him more playing time than the guard-loaded Suns.
Marcus Thornton was a member of the Phoenix Suns? Look for him to sign with a contender.
Brandan Wright is interesting. The Suns traded for him last season and he filled his role exceptionally well, which may be the problem. He may receive a lucrative contract from a desperate team, or maybe even a starting role elsewhere. The Suns would like for him to be back as they need depth up front, but whether he re-signs is another story.
Team Needs
- Star player at any position
- Power Forward
- Back-up Point Guard
- Veteran presence
Ryan McDonough, general manager of the Phoenix Suns had some interesting quotes on what the team will do this off-season.
"We're going to be aggressive and target the best players... There's a great history and tradition here. You saw how a player like Steve Nash transforms an organization when he arrives. We'd be doing a disservice to ourselves and our fans if we didn't go after the top guys."
But how likely is it that the Suns lure in Kevin Love, or LaMarcus Aldridge? Or a Marc Gasol or DeAndre Jordan? With the cap going up, more teams have cap room this summer, which is a disservice to the Suns who haven't been able to lock up a star via free agency since Steve Nash in 2004.
The Suns need a veteran leader. Channing Frye was that guy in 2014, and when he left, the Suns locker room fell apart. The oldest player on the team to start the year last season was P.J. Tucker at 29 years old. They have nine, yes nine, players ages 25 and under. Young players are nice, but you must have that voice in the locker room that brings the team together, a voice that players respect and want to play hard for. The Suns just did not have that last season.
Likely Targets
- Kevin Love, PF, 26 years old
- LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, 29 years old
- Greg Monroe, PF/C, 25 years old
- Paul Millsap, PF, 30 years old
- David West, PF, 35 years old
- Tyson Chandler, C, 32 years old
- Danny Green, SG/SF, 28 years old
- Amar'e Stoudemire, PF, 32 years old
Cap Situation
The Suns, assuming they renounce all cap holds except for Brandon Knight's, will have a little over $12 million to spend. They can then go over the cap to re-sign Knight, if he agrees to sign when the time is right.
With three shooting guards and four small forwards on the roster all deserving of playing time, one must assume a trade is on the horizon. A trade could bring in that coveted star Phoenix so desperately needs, or it can free up the cap space to sign that star via free agency. Eric Bledsoe, Markieff and Marcus Morris, and P.J. Tucker have been most linked to trade talks, but it is unlikely the Suns trade Bledsoe. The Suns will have at least $12 million to spend, but likely more to lure in one of the many free agents on their list.
Likely Scenario
Though it is exciting the Suns are going to go after big name, top-tier free agents, let's be honest, there is a slim to zero chance the Suns are able to have them put pen to paper and sign with Phoenix. If the Suns were to be able to bring a much-needed star on this roster, it would likely be through trade. They have a better chance at one of the second-tier guys like David West, Paul Millsap, or Tyson Chandler, which would not be bad at all.
The team will likely sign a mid-level player or two that will improve the team slightly next season, while mainly banking on the player developments of one of their recent draft picks. Alex Len and Archie Goodwin are heading into year three of their NBA careers. T.J. Warren is going to be a sophomore NBA player. All three of them being first-round picks, this is likely the time one or more of them could break out, and nothing would make the Suns happier. Perhaps even newly-selected rookie Devin Booker can surprise in year one. With the start of free agency looming, the Suns have one thing in mind, and that is to bring a coveted star to the Valley of the Sun.