The Phoenix Suns have an intriguing 2024 offseason as they try to improve upon last year. How will Mike Budenholzer manage The Valley’s Big Three? With Frank Vogel being fired after just one season as Head Coach, it’s clear James Jones has higher aspirations than getting swept in the first round. Now with a new leader at the helm, the team will attempt to make an NBA Finals run.
2024 NBA Offseason Preview: What’s Next For The Phoenix Suns?
Season Recap
After going all-in and trading for Bradley Beal, expectations were high for the Phoenix Suns heading into the 2023-24 NBA season. Their win total over/under was 51.5, but they went just 49-33. With the third-highest team payroll throughout the league, it was assumed that the Suns would finish higher than 6th in the West. Teams like the Thunder, Clippers, and Mavericks all finished higher in the standings, yet were nowhere near the top as far as league payroll. While the Western Conference was loaded, that doesn’t excuse their disappointing first-round playoff exit. Their Big-3 only played 41 regular season games together out of 82. It’s tough to build chemistry when your three stars only play half the regular season together. Throw in a new coach and a top-heavy roster, and you have a recipe for disaster.
On The Bright Side
To call last season a failure would be incorrect. Most teams would be happy with a 49-33 record and a playoff appearance. However, the Suns are not like most teams. James Jones has reiterated that the team has championship aspirations and anything less will not be tolerated. Fortunately, Vogel seemed to be the main problem, and he’s now gone. Reports came out that players would laugh at his locker room outbursts, a sign of bad chemistry. Vogel is known as a defensive-minded coach, and with the offensive firepower the team possesses they would be better off with someone like Mike D’Antoni than Frank Vogel. In an NY Times piece highlighting how players who had been coached by Budenholzer felt about him, NBA Veteran DJ Augustin had a very interesting quote. He detailed how Bud and Vogel are “complete opposites”.
“The trees that they come from are totally different,” Hill said. “Coach Bud, coming from probably, if not the greatest coach in history, one of the greatest coaches ever (in Popovich), so he has that experience, that foundation. Where Frank Vogel was a grind-out coach. He came from the film room, at the bottom of the list, and worked his butt off to get to where he’s at today. The way they approach things, the way they look at things is the complete opposite.”
Projected Cap Space and Draft Picks
Over the Second Apron
The Suns are over the NBA’s new second apron tax penalty, which comes with several restrictions. Boston and Minnesota are the only other franchises stuck over the second apron, but both teams are in a far better position than Phoenix right now. Teams are hard-capped at the Second Apron and cannot use Tax MLE. Furthermore, they cannot combine two or more player salaries in a trade, send out cash in a trade, or acquire a player using a TPE that was created via a previous sign-and-trade. They’re only able to re-sign their own free agents and draft picks or sign players to
22nd Overall Pick
- Tyler Kolek
- KJ Simpson
- Bronny James
Ever since Chris Paul left town things haven’t been the same. A solid point guard is a necessity for any championship team, no matter how much offensive firepower they possess. Which is why Tyler Kolek makes so much sense. Kolek led the nation in assists his senior year at Marquette, with 7.7 per game, proving he’s a floor general . At 23 he’s old for a draft pick, but with age comes wisdom and that makes him more league-ready than his draft peers.
Despite how perfectly Kolek would fit with the team, they’ve been rumored to be trading down in an attempt to acquire draft capital after they ravaged theirs in the Beal and Durant trades. Also, there were talks of Phoenix drafting Bronny James to try and coax LeBron into joining the Suns, but Rich Paul quickly shut down those rumors. Still, Bronny is the one who will be drafted, and at the end of the day, it’s his decision where he signs. If Phoenix does trade up they could potentially get Kolek and Bronny.
Another good draft target for the Suns would be former Colorado Buff KJ Simpson. At six-foot-two and 175 pounds, he may need to add to his frame to last in the NBA, but Simpson is oozing with potential. He was ranked 7th in win shares with 7.2 and was 6th in total points produced with 722. One essential trait about Simpson is his fearlessness, in big moments he shines and he doesn’t see a shot he doesn’t like. He put together a solid season at Colorado, alongside big man Eddie Lampkin, and first-round picks Cody Williams, and Tristan Da Silva. The team went 26-11 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Pending Free Agents and Possible Departures
- Drew Eubanks (Player Option)
- Eric Gordon (Player Option)
- Damion Lee (Player Option)
- Josh Okogie (Player Option)
- Royce O’Neale (Unrestricted)
- David Roddy (Team Option)
- Bol Bol (Unrestricted)
- Udoka Azubuike (Unrestricted)
- Ish Wainright (Restricted)
- Isaiah Thomas (Unrestricted)
- Saben Lee (Restricted)
- Thaddeus Young (Unrestricted)
The only names that really matter here are O’Neale, Gordon, Lee, and Roddy. Gordon, along with Drew Eubanks, has made it clear he won’t be returning to Phoenix. Reports have said that the Suns will be re-signing O’Neal, and Damion Lee will be back with the team next year as well.
Roddy should be a good 3-and-D player for the Suns, as an essential role player off the bench. It would be smart of them to accept his team option, especially at that salary considering the current market. If Josh Okogie is smart he’ll take his player option. Testing his value on the market would be risky considering his limited skill set. Bol, Azubuike, Lee, and Wainwright will likely be let go as a culture reset with new coach Mike Budenholzer. Young and Thomas are serviceable veterans, but there are better players in free agency and neither of the two are getting any younger.
Realistic Offseason Targets
- Patrick Beverley
- Jaylen Nowell
- Malachi Flynn
Patrick Beverley is the guy you hate to play against, but love playing with. Wherever Pat Bev goes his energy radiates, and as a defensive floor general he can provide a great morale boost. Vets are a necessary part of a locker room. They hold young players and stars accountable, and that might be the shakeup the Suns need. Now that Mike Budenholzer is in charge he’ll need his vets to keep guys in line. Who could be more fit for the role than Beverly?
Jaylen Nowell struggled to find a permanent home last season. He’s still young, and put up some of the best numbers of his career during his limited playing time in 2023-24. For some reason, teams don’t heavily value Nowell. Yet, his 3-point shot-making and ability to bring the ball up are 2 essentials for point guards. On a minimum contract, Nowell would be valuable, and if the Suns don’t take a chance on him surely some team will.
Malachi Flynn, known for his 50-point eruption while playing for the Pistons last season, is a free agent. Flynn was uncoveted, and Toronto traded him to the Knicks, where he never cracked Thib’s rotation. He got some run as a Piston, but that team wasn’t the most talented and it’s hard to gauge his talent when his teammates and coach were so inept. Flynn could certainly help the Suns off the bench as a microwave scorer. His ability to get red-hot should scare any opposing defense.
Trade Targets
- Vit Krejci
- Mike Conle
Krejci thrived in the G-league and showed he has what it takes to be a rotation-level player in the NBA. Stepping up when the Hawks were ridden with injuries, Krejci isn’t the best point guard. But he plays hard and gets his teammates involved. At six-foot-eight he can see the whole floor, providing him with a passing instinct greater than his peers.
Mike Conley recently signed with the Timberwolves But after their playoff exit, the team must be considering what parts to move or change. Conley could be seen as a liability for the Wolves. He’s aging with a contract through 2025-26, and the Wolves don’t have much for a point guard outside of Conley. If Phoenix moves up in the draft as previously mentioned, they could nab Bronny James, who Minnesota has been rumored to be very interested in.
