Oso Ighodaro is in the kind of position players dream about: his role is growing, his leverage is rising, and the Suns may need him more than ever. On the eve of Phoenix finishing preseason against the Utah Jazz, the 24-year-old spoke publicly about his contract situation for the first time, and the timing made sense. He’s now eligible for an extension on his rookie deal, and with a likely path to the starting center job on opening night of the 2026-27 season, this is as strong a bargaining spot as he has had since the Suns drafted him.
Speaking with the media, Ighodaro acknowledged there has been movement behind the scenes. As Kellan Olson of Arizona Sports reported, he said, “we’ll see what happens in the next couple of days.”
Olson also noted that Ighodaro is eligible for a contract extension this year even though he still has one season left on his original rookie contract. The best move for both sides would be to get something done sooner rather than later.
For Ighodaro, the logic is straightforward. This is the moment to capitalize while his value is rising and the Suns are leaning on him more heavily.
With Mark Williams likely out for the season, the door is open wide. Khaman Maluach has flashed some promise in preseason, but he remains a raw prospect, not someone ready to jump in front of a player who now has real experience.
Maluach may be the Suns’ long-term answer, but Ighodaro has already taken the hard road from uncertain fit to legitimate piece. A year after being in the same opportunity and looking overwhelmed, he has developed, settled in and become a strong second-round success story for Phoenix.
From the Suns’ side, the appeal is just as clear. Ighodaro is trending up, and an extension would give the team a chance to lock in a player they believe could be on a team-friendly deal.
That kind of contract matters for a cap sheet that already has its complications. It would also preserve his trade value, since another team would know he’d be under contract for years if Phoenix ever decided to move him.
Ighodaro’s place in the organization has changed quickly. Hard as it may be to believe, he is now one of the longest-tenured Suns behind Devin Booker and Jordan Goodwin. He was around at the tail end of the Kevin Durant/Bradley Beal era and was part of the group that helped Phoenix reach a surprising 45 wins last season.
He still has offensive areas to clean up if he wants to become a steady contributor, but the progress is obvious. Turning a second-round pick who once had trouble finding his footing in The Valley into someone worth extending early is exactly the kind of business front offices love.
The next step is simple enough: get the deal done early in the regular season and keep this from becoming a distraction.
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