We’ve arrived at the final stop on our tour through the unrestricted free agent market this offseason. There are plenty of names available, still, not every positional need has to be addressed by the Phoenix Suns. You could argue the primary focus should be power forward and center if Phoenix decides to use unrestricted free agency to supplement the roster.
It’s an interesting spot the Suns find themselves in. Over the past few years, unrestricted free agency has been one of the primary ways they’ve
filled out the roster. With the current emphasis on continuity and development, that approach might shift a bit this summer.
Major roster decisions are looming, and one of the biggest centers on fifth-year center Mark Williams. His restricted free agency situation could end up being one of the defining decisions of the offseason, as his qualifying offer is $9.6 million. It’s a great deal for the Suns, but it does come with repercussions in the larger picture of cap gynastics and tax implications.
If Phoenix prioritizes bringing Williams back alongside guards Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, that money starts pushing the Suns back into luxury tax territory. More importantly, repeater tax territory. You become a repeater tax team once you’re over the tax in three out of four seasons. Even though Phoenix dipped below it this past year, when you’ve carried the highest payroll in NBA history across multiple seasons, you’re operating in dangerous financial territory regardless.
That’s the balancing act facing this front office. Do you go back into the luxury tax knowing the repeater penalties become even harsher, or do you start reshaping parts of the roster in an effort to avoid it?
As John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports recently noted, there are really three paths the Phoenix Suns can take with Mark Williams.
Option one: bring him back on something around that $9.6 million qualifying offer, depending on where the market settles. Option two: execute a sign and trade if another team values him higher than Phoenix does. Option three: simply let him walk.
That third option is what makes this conversation interesting.
If the Suns decide to move on from Williams, and the organizational focus shifts toward accelerating the development timeline of second-year lottery pick Khaman Maluach, there are veteran names available in unrestricted free agency that could probably be added on minimum deals to provide depth at center.
And those names are?
Again, if the Phoenix Suns bring back Mark Williams, then none of these names really matter. If Phoenix lets him walk in unrestricted free agency, or signs and trades him in an effort to recoup draft capital or another player on a cheaper contract who fills a positional need, then this list becomes more interesting. At that point, you’re looking for depth behind Khaman Maluach.
The name that jumps off the page for me is Andre Drummond. Yes, the Philadelphia 76ers hold Early Bird rights on him, still, we saw flashes this postseason of what he can still provide. He’ll be 33 when next season starts. He’s not someone I’d want starting 82 games. As a depth piece though, I’ve always found Drummond intriguing.
Another option would be Thomas Bryant, who has barely seen the floor during the postseason for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Again, strictly through the lens of depth, he’s not a terrible backup center option. Then, of course, there is always Nick Richards…
And don’t hate me for this one, I wouldn’t mind seeing Jock Landale back in Phoenix. Yes, he’s undersized for the position. If he’s your backup center, you know exactly what you’re getting. Energy. Physicality. Chaos in the best possible way. But you are also undersized, which is practically the franchise’s tagline for its puny history.
So let’s play the hypothetical out. The Suns decide they want to avoid becoming a repeater tax team next season, which leads to them moving on from Mark Williams. Looking at this list, who interests you? Is there someone you’d want as a starter? Or are you fully committed to giving Maluach the runway and simply looking for depth behind him?
Let us know in the comments below.
