With training camp set to open next week, the Phoenix Suns suddenly have a real roster fight on their hands, and the last spot may come down to a familiar name with a surprising edge.
Phoenix added Duop Reath last week after Mark Williams’ shoulder surgery, and now the Suns will need to waive one of Reath, Jamaree Bouyea or Haywood Highsmith by Oct. 19 at 2:00 p.m MST to get down to 15 players.
At the moment, Reath is on a training camp invite, but he looks like he has a strong path to the roster because Phoenix is thin at center without Williams. Bouyea and Highsmith are both on non-guaranteed contracts through January, which means neither can feel comfortable yet.
That puts a lot on the next month. Training camp and the preseason will decide who sticks, and all three players have a real chance to shape the decision.
Still, the clearest choice right now looks like Bouyea.
He flashed last season in a way few expected, but he’s now in the mix for the third-string point guard job with Pat Spencer, whom Phoenix signed to a two-way contract. Spencer is viewed as a strong culture fit, which only tightens the squeeze on Bouyea.
Highsmith has his own case. He gave the Suns some useful minutes in limited action last season, and he’s the kind of veteran 3-and-D wing who can help cover for the loss of Royce O'Neale. He also gives Phoenix extra depth if injuries hit the wing group.
Reath, meanwhile, adds something different: a true stretch big. He’s not a finished product and comes with some holes, but the Suns need insurance at center after Williams’ injury, especially with Maluach still unproven.
So unless something unexpected happens, Bouyea is the likeliest name to go. But Highsmith and Reath, both of whom spent much of last season injured, still have to show they’re ready to contribute.
Before Williams went down, there wasn’t much to track as the season approached. Now the final roster spot and the center rotation have become two of the biggest things to watch over the next month.
Training camp begins next Tuesday, Sept. 29, after media day on Monday, and Phoenix opens the preseason at the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 5.
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Pat Spencer stands to be one of the players watching that process closely. With fewer bodies fighting for the same backcourt minutes, the two-way guard could find a clearer path to earn a larger role, and in a camp where every opportunity matters, even one added roster decision can change the conversation quickly. [Read more 🡒]
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Still, the bigger question for Phoenix is whether the front line can solve the interior issues that have shown up at different points, especially as the season wore on and turnover creation became less reliable. The Suns do have depth at center with Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach, both of whom gave the team encouraging defensive minutes last season, and that gives the coaching staff options as it tries to shore up the middle. For a team trying to stay among the better defenses in the West, the next step is making sure the new faces do more than blend in - they have to clean up the one area that still leaves the Suns exposed. [Read more 🡒]