The Phoenix Suns didn’t land a flashy headline move when NBA free agency opened, but they did manage something important: they kept two of their own.
With limited premium draft capital and no top-tier salary cap room to chase the market’s biggest names, Phoenix spent the summer locking in internal pieces instead of swinging for the fences. Two of those retained players, Collin Gillespie and Mark Williams, were among Spotrac’s Top 50 free agents heading into the offseason.
Gillespie’s rise was one of the Suns’ clearest success stories from the past season. He took a big step forward and that performance earned him a four-year, $48 million deal this summer.
In Phoenix’s backcourt, he is now set to serve as the third scoring option behind Devin Booker and Jalen Green, giving the Suns another creator who can score and help run the offense. With bench production carrying more weight across the league, that blend of scoring and organization made Gillespie especially valuable.
“I've always seen him. He was in the gym all summer long.
He plays with a confidence that is very mature, well beyond his years. He's growing, He's going to continue to grow.
He's in situations like tonight that he's probably never been in at the NBA level," Suns coach Jordan Ott said of Gillespie earlier in the season.
"He is going to continue to get better. We are super confident in what he can do and the next steps, next iterations of Collin Gillespie.
He's got a long pathway to grow and we're going to continue to pump him up, give him confidence, give more avenues, try to find solutions. Like I talked in pregame he's finding solutions out there on the fly.
He's going to continue to get better.”
Williams’ return took a little more unpacking. The big man arrived via trade last summer and started the 2025-26 season by giving Phoenix steady center play while staying mostly healthy. Then injuries hit late in the postseason and complicated the finish.
There was at least some belief the Suns might instead lean into the development of Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro at center. Instead, they brought Williams back on a three-year, $38 million contract. The deal was widely viewed as a good outcome for both sides.
Even with Williams back in the fold, his future in Phoenix still leaves the door open a crack for a trade. For now, though, the Suns secured a serviceable starter at a reasonable price.
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Bradley Beal Just Twisted The Knife On Suns Fans Again
Bradley Beals latest turn in free agency is the kind of development Suns fans probably hoped they had moved past. After a frustrating stretch that included hip surgery and just six appearances with the Clippers, Beal is back on the market, and his next stop is still unknown as roster spots around the league continue to disappear.
Phoenix, of course, is still living with the financial aftermath. The Suns remain on the hook for more than $77 million to Beal through 2030 as part of the previous buyout, a reminder that even when he is wearing another uniform, his contract still sits in the background of the franchises future. By the time that bill is fully paid, the total will be staggering. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Still Have One Roster Problem To Solve In Free Agency
Phoenix has already done a fair amount of its summer housekeeping by bringing back Mark Williams, Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, then making the move for Miles Bridges to help stabilize the frontcourt after dealing Grayson Allen. The Bridges trade gives the Suns a clearer look at the lineup they want to build around, and the expectation is that he slots into the starting power forward role while the rest of the roster takes shape around him and Dillon Brooks.
What still needs work is the backcourt, where Phoenix is looking for another guard to round out the rotation and give the team more balance. The Suns are also signaling they want to keep Brooks around long term, and they have contract offers available for both Brooks and Bridges, which means the next phase of the offseason is less about making splashy moves and more about locking in the pieces they think can fit together. [Read more 🡒]