The Suns may have missed out on Kel’el Ware, but the bigger picture looks a lot better for Phoenix now.
According to Wes Goldberg of Locked On Heat, who appeared recently on Yossi Gozlan’s "Third Apron Podcast," the Heat were asked about Kevin Durant last summer and drew a hard line when Phoenix pushed for Ware. Goldberg said, "The Heat would not trade Kel'el Ware when Durant was getting traded to Houston, that was the line they drew in the sand and that was ultimately why that one didn't happen either."
At the time, Miami’s refusal kept Ware in place. But the Suns ended up with their own long-term center in Khaman Maluach, and that’s the move that now looks like the cleaner fit.
Phoenix also came out of the Durant era with Jalen Green, who has not worked out so far, and Dillon Brooks. Even so, Maluach has become the more important piece for the Suns’ future in the middle. The former 10th overall pick is only 19, and his Summer League surge gave the fan base plenty to latch onto.
He still has a lot to prove before he becomes a steady NBA contributor, and for now Ware will bring more production. But the Suns are betting on upside, and the reporting suggests they may have ended up with the better long-term answer. Maluach’s effort during his rookie campaign has stood out, while Ware’s motor has been a concern in the past.
If Ware never raises that intensity level, the Bucks could be looking at a situation similar to Deandre Ayton: loads of talent, not enough consistent fire. That’s part of why Phoenix can feel good about Maluach, and also about Oso Ighodaro, who brings more in the motor department. Together, the two bigs should offer more to the Suns than Ware would have alone.
There’s also one more layer to this story. Former Suns center Nick Richards, whose Phoenix stint went poorly, is now in Miami because the Heat needed help at backup center after their own depth issues from landing Antetokounmpo. Phoenix moved on from Richards without much regret, and now the Heat are the ones trying to make him work.
For the Suns, that’s a neat bit of symmetry. They lost the Ware chase, but may have landed on the better path anyway.
In Other News...
Former Suns Finals Sparkplug May Be Drifting Out Of Phoenix Plans
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Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Jamaree Bouyea are all in the mix for those minutes, giving the Suns a different kind of guard competition than the one Payne would step into. For a player who once provided energy and playoff-shotmaking for Phoenix, the door does not appear completely shut around the league, but the path back to the Suns is getting harder to see. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Kennard Could Force A Real Suns Lineup Decision
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The tricky part is that Kennards value may not be limited to spot minutes. His defensive limitations are still part of the equation, but the offensive fit is good enough to make the Suns think harder about how they want their best five arranged. At some point, that kind of balance can turn a bench addition into a lineup decision, and Phoenix may have to decide how much creation it wants on the floor without giving up too much defense. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Rotation Squeeze Puts Three Players In A Tough Spot
The Suns rotation picture is getting tighter, and the pressure is starting to show on a few familiar names. With new roster additions and more competition around the lineup, Ryan Dunn, Jamaree Bouyea and Jalen Green are all in line to see less floor time than they did before, which is never a comfortable place for players trying to carve out a steady role.
For Dunn, the squeeze goes beyond simply losing minutes, because his place in the long-term plan suddenly looks less secure as the season unfolds. Bouyea is expected to have a smaller part to play than he did a year ago, and Green, whose usage is already headed in the wrong direction, could wind up sliding even further down the pecking order if the minutes keep shrinking. [Read more 🡒]