ESPN may have nudged the Phoenix Suns out of the league’s bleakest long-term picture, but the network also put far too much of that turnaround on the shoulders of 20-year-old center Khaman Maluach.
The idea was clear enough: if Maluach becomes a starter and produces every night soon, Phoenix’s ceiling rises in a big way. That part tracks.
A seven-footer with the size to control the paint and the touch to show some range is exactly the kind of player teams spend years trying to find. Maluach could become that and more.
But making him the one true lifeline for Devin Booker’s prime goes too far.
Phoenix has more in the pipeline than just its rookie center. The addition of Duop Reath for training camp is another sign that the Suns are not rushing Maluach into anything. The organization appears committed to bringing him along carefully, not asking him to carry the entire future right away.
Even if Maluach never reaches the level the Suns hope for, the roster is still too busy, too flexible and too active to collapse into the bottom tier many thought was coming. The trade for Miles Bridges was a sideways move, but it did improve the starting group, since he is a clear upgrade over Royce O'Neale.
Dillon Brooks remains a major piece for The Valley, and his extension came at the right time. He is also still a useful trade asset. Jalen Green may not fit that description in the same way anymore, but if Phoenix decides to move him, another team should still view him as an expiring contract worth taking a chance on.
The Suns have also gotten value from the draft picks they actually kept and used over the last couple of seasons. Rasheer Fleming and Oso Ighodaro look like rotation players, Koa Peat could be next, and Ryan Dunn may get one more opportunity to prove he belongs.
For all the criticism of how recklessly Phoenix has dealt away picks, the front office has shown it can turn the ones it does have into real pieces.
And then there is owner Mat Ishbia, who has made it clear from the start that he is willing to spend whatever it takes to chase a championship in The Valley. He has followed through so far, even if going back into the luxury tax again once Bridges is extended will sting.
If he can keep writing those checks after the Kevin Durant roster didn’t work and after whatever label fits this current group, then the commitment is real.
Maluach matters. He might even end up being the player who helps push the Suns to another level. But the notion that he is the only thing standing between Phoenix and irrelevance in the Devin Booker era just doesn’t hold up.
In Other News...
Wolves Are Giving Jules Bernard Another Chance To Force The Issue
The Suns have added another familiar name to their guard mix, signing David Stockton to a non-guaranteed training camp contract as they sort through the usual late-summer competition for backcourt depth. Stockton has not appeared in an NBA game since 2018, but the move gives Phoenix a chance to see how he fits before camp sorts itself out, and he is expected to land with the Valley Suns in the G League picture.
For Stockton, it is another opportunity to keep pressing for a look at the highest level, even if the path likely runs through the affiliate first. Phoenix is one of several teams making these low-risk camp additions as roster spots and two-way lanes remain in flux, while the Timberwolves simultaneously brought in free agent guard Jules Bernard on a similar non-guaranteed deal after his previous brief stint in Minnesota never got him onto the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Suddenly Face A Tough Roster Call Around Duop Reath
The Suns are staring at one of those late-summer roster puzzles that can shape the last spot or two on a team. Phoenix has 15 players under contract, and inviting center Duop Reath to training camp means someone has to come off the list to make room for him. It is the kind of move that can look minor on paper but often says plenty about how a team views its depth, its health and where the best fit might be.
For Phoenix, the appeal is clear enough: Reath brings a skill set the Suns believe can help, even if the roster math gets messy in the process. The decision comes down to choosing between Jamaree Bouyea and Haywood Highsmith, with the team weighing both fit and availability as it sorts through the back end of the roster. However it shakes out, the Suns appear convinced that adding Reath is the better play, even if it means parting with a player who may still have a path elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Fans Just Got Another Reminder Of That Frank Vogel Era
Frank Vogel is back on the move, and Suns fans have another fresh reminder of how quickly the league keeps turning the page on coaching staffs. After spending the last two seasons as an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks, Vogel is heading to Golden State for the 2025-26 season, adding another familiar name to a Warriors bench that is already being reshaped as the franchise looks ahead.
For Phoenix, it is another small but notable echo of the 2023-24 season, when Vogel spent one year on the sideline before the Suns moved on. Golden States staff will lean on him in a major way as the team adjusts to future roster changes, and his next stop keeps him in the same Western Conference mix that never really lets old storylines go away. [Read more 🡒]