The Phoenix Suns spent much of their offseason keeping familiar faces around, but a few old names are still out there on the free agent market.
Phoenix already locked in Collin Gillespie, Mark Williams and Jordan Goodwin before they had a chance to test free agency. The team also brought back Koby Brea and Jamaree Bouyea on lower-level deals, then added Luke Kennard and Pat Spencer from outside the organization.
Even with that business mostly wrapped up, several former Suns remain unsigned.
Amir Coffey and Isaiah Livers are still available after the free agency rush cooled off. Coffey, who was acquired at the last trade deadline from the Chicago Bulls, recently signed a deal to head to the EuroLeague. Livers, meanwhile, had only been on a two-way contract.
Bradley Beal is another notable name still on the market after the Los Angeles Clippers moved on from him. Phoenix remains responsible for his salary for the next three years, paying him $19.4 million per season through 2029.
Nick Richards is also still looking for a landing spot. The Suns traded him this past season in the Coffey deal after using him as Mark Williams’ backup at center, then moved his contract to get under the second apron of the luxury tax. Phoenix also had younger options in Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach in the mix.
And Richards is hardly the only former Suns big man still available. Bismack Biyombo, Mason Plumlee and Drew Eubanks are all free agent centers who have spent time in Phoenix.
TyTy Washington, who was once on a two-way deal with the Suns, is also still searching for his next team.
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The challenge is that the cushion around him looks thinner now. Grayson Allen is gone, and Luke Kennard is not expected to provide the same secondary playmaking or defensive support, which means Gillespie may have to shoulder more of the load when the starters sit. For a player who has already been targeted at times because of his size, the question is whether the Suns are asking him to do a little more, or a lot more, than his game can comfortably absorb. [Read more 🡒]
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Golden State is a useful cautionary tale here, with the Warriors appearing more focused on what comes after Stephen Curry than on squeezing every last win out of the present. Phoenix should be doing the opposite around Booker, pressing to improve the roster now rather than waiting for the moment when the timeline feels less urgent and the path back to contention gets even harder to find. [Read more 🡒]