Phoenix’s three two-way players give the Suns a little insurance policy on the end of the roster, and that’s exactly the point.
A team would always rather have that depth sitting there than be forced to scramble for it later. Two-way contracts are built for this kind of role: development first, emergency help second.
Since the NBA expanded from two two-way deals to three in the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Suns have leaned into that lane, especially as their approach to the draft has shifted. Second-round picks no longer have to be treated like throwaways.
There’s now a real path for those players to grow into useful depth or even rotation pieces.
Last season offered a good example of how that can work. Koby Brea and CJ Huntley combined for 124 minutes, while Jamaree Bouyea logged 644 minutes in 46 games. Bouyea signed with Phoenix on a two-way contract in November and was converted to a regular contract in early March, which is the kind of progression teams hope for when they use this system the right way.
This year, Brea and Huntley are back in the same setup, and Pat Spencer has joined them as the third two-way player. Spencer is entering his fourth NBA season and brings the most experience of the group.
He signed a two-way deal with the Golden State Warriors and was later converted to a regular contract, a pattern that has happened in each of the last two seasons. Golden State needed him last year because of injuries, and Spencer ended up playing in 66 games and starting 14.
That background seems to be a big reason Suns fans view him as the most likely two-way player to crack the rotation. In the latest survey, 78% of the community said Spencer will see time with Phoenix this season.
There’s a clear logic to that vote. Spencer looks like the most NBA-ready option, and he brings a tougher, more seasoned feel than the others. But the Suns’ group is interesting because each player fills a different need.
Spencer is the defensive-minded point guard. Brea is the shooting specialist, the guy who can help from deep.
Huntley brings size and rebounding, with enough floor-stretching ability to matter as a big. That gives Phoenix three different answers depending on what the season throws at them.
If the Suns get hit in the frontcourt, Huntley is there. If they need more three-point shooting, Brea may have the clearest path to minutes; he’s the player I voted for. If the guard rotation gets thin, or if Phoenix wants to lean harder into defense, Spencer becomes the obvious call.
That’s what makes this setup useful. The Suns are not asking these players to transform the team or swing the FanDuel over-under win total on their own.
They’re backup plans, plain and simple. And in a long NBA season, that matters.
Ideally, none of them are needed much at all because the players ahead of them stay healthy and productive. But seasons don’t usually stay that tidy.
Injuries happen. Roles change.
Rotations shift.
When that happens, Phoenix has three different options waiting on the same kind of deal. And that’s a pretty smart place to be.
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