We’ve arrived at NBA free agency day, the time of year when, if you’re not careful, your phone starts exploding with transaction notifications. It’s one of the busiest days on the NBA calendar, as free agency officially begins at 3 p.m. Arizona time.
For the Phoenix Suns, much of the heavy lifting has already been done. They’ve re-signed unrestricted free agents Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, brought back restricted free agent Mark Williams, traded Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale for Miles Bridges,
and selected Koa Peat in the first round of the NBA Draft.
As things currently stand, the Suns sit at a projected $208.9 million in salary, placing them just below the first apron. T
The team has 14 of its 15 roster spots filled. That’s not an unfamiliar position for Phoenix. The organization has often preferred to keep one roster spot open, giving itself added flexibility as the season unfolds.
But after sending out so much shooting in the trade for Miles Bridges, the Suns now have a glaring need. They need shooting off the bench. More specifically, they need a veteran presence who can consistently space the floor. So the question becomes whether they choose to fill that final roster spot today when free agency opens. Phoenix has roughly $6.1 million available through the mid-level exception to offer the right player. Whether they decide to use it immediately remains to be seen, but that’s what we’ll be watching throughout the day.
We shared names that could be available for the Suns to target, and a couple of those names have already fallen to the wayside. Landry Shamet is expected to return to the Knicks, while Kevin Huerter is going to re-sign with the Pistons. The list that Arizona Sports Suns insider John Gambadoro has been whittled down to the following:
- Collin Sexton
- Luke Kennard
- Jordan Clarkson
- De’Anthony Melton
At the same time, we’ll be keeping an eye on the rest of the Western Conference, evaluating every move and asking the same question after each transaction. Did those teams get better? And in comparison, did the Suns get worse?
Time to turn those notifications on. It’s NBA free agency day…
