Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep-down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week, the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — gives their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: There has been some speculation about the Suns possibly trading Jalen Green for Dejounte Murray. What is your opinion of this idea?
zenzino: This one doesn’t irritate me like some other ideas. I still say ‘pass’, though.
I know people are hard up for a point guard. But I think Murray is as much a shooting guard as a point guard and he peaked in the 21-22 season. 33% career from 3 and around 30% the last two seasons. He’s five
years older than Green, coming off of a torn Achilles.
This would probably be a 1-for-1 trade. Green’s trade value has never been lower because of an injury season. It would definitely be a ‘buy high, sell low’ situation. This seems like a mid-season trade instead of an off-season trade.
We’ve only seen a glimpse of what a fully healthy Jalen Green can do. I’m not ready to write him off yet. I remember the East Coast road swing when Green & Book were scoring 70+ per game.
Let’s get 50 games where the team is healthy as possible and see what happens. Last season was the only season of Green’s entire career he’s missed a significant number of games so I wouldn’t be surprised if he played all 82 this season. If we’re getting close to the trade deadline and it’s obviously not working with Green, then a trade like this (with added picks) would be understandable.
The Suns included Camara in a trade as an afterthought and now we have a heavy ‘what might have been’ sigh every time we play Portland. I don’t want to watch Jalen Green highlights in a Grizzlies uniform without first giving him a chance here.
And, for the love…, can we please stop trading with the Wizards, Hornets, and Pelicans? How about getting some Thunder or Celtics players?
Ashton: So when I see a question like t I am wondering if Rod is pulling a fast one. He pulled it off social media or SI, things of that nature to create another thought exercise. It turns out I did not have to go far on the search engines to find a top result. This site’s own Bruce Veliz opined on this topic two months ago.
Thanks Bruce! I didn’t have to use AI (I would not anyway in writing), and Mr. Veliz states he would not do it. That link should cover analytics.
Well, count me in on not trading. My main problem with Green was his injuries and not really getting the correct game sample size if he could be an initiator on offense along with Booker. I am not a “johnny-come-lately” (I am not James Cagney either – let’s just see how old some of these posters are) type of person looking for the next shiny toy, so let’s see what he can do with a healthy season in a stable rotation. Yes, Jalen Green is trade bait in some comments, but why? He deserves another season.
OldAz: I get that Green is positionally too similar to Booker, and just about any good player who is more of a PG is going to be a rumored target by Suns fans. That being said, can we stop floating or latching onto proposed trades of a player half a decade older and coming off major injuries that have cost him almost 2 seasons? That team trading said player with recent injury issues might just know something the Suns don’t.
On the other hand, for those who REALLY want to see Jalen Green traded, at least Murray was back for 14 games at the end of last season and did look good for a player coming back from an Achilles injury, an injury others have recovered well from. His previous injury (fractured hand) is a totally different part of the body and seems more like a freak injury. Despite the age difference and not really seeing Green at full strength last season, I guess I could be talked into liking this one IF the Suns were able to do a full and independent assessment of his recovery and future prognosis from the Achilles injury.
Rod: At 30, and coming off a bad injury that sidelined him for almost all of last season, I’d definitely say no to this one. I will say that a fully healthy Dejounte Murray would likely be a better fit for this team than Green but it would take New Orleans throwing in at least a couple of unprotected 1st round picks as part of the deal to get me to seriously consider it…which I seriously doubt they would do. It makes a little sense as Murray would likely be a better fit next to Booker, but there are too many negatives attached to Murray to make it a good trade for the Suns.
Q2: How do you think the Suns SHOULD manage the center rotation and minutes for Mark Williams, Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro this season?
zenzino: I think it should be a fairly even split between Mark and Oso as starters based on matchups. Managing minutes is key for MW, and Oso showed that he is a workable starting center in most instances.
As an overly simplified example, I’d start MW against teams with longer centers and Oso against more physical centers. Obviously, there are more factors to determine matchups, but you get the picture. Playing 60-65 games is fine for MW as long as the coach decides which games and not injuries.
We’ll know a little more about Man Man’s progress after Summer League and pre-season (he looked good in the first game). Like everyone else, I’d love to see him get a lot more playing time this season and be a solid part of the backup rotation. If he’s ready. Unlike many people here, I am trusting the coaching staff to determine that. A big reason Ott was hired was his experience in developing young players. If Man Man is not playing much, it’s because he’s not ready.
We tend to think of MW as the vet. While he has been in the league four years to Oso’s two, he’s only played 23 more NBA games (166 vs 143). While tenure matters, as you can learn a lot just by being around professional players and coaches, it’s still easy to forget that our center rotation is very young. I expect all three of them to get better.
The small ball haters should be prepared to hate. I see a fair amount of small ball happening this season with Bridges and maybe even Sheer at the 5 for significant stretches.
Ashton: I think it was already settled that Mark Williams does not do back-to-back games. But he is the starter in an NBA market starved for trying to find back-up centers. They are at a premium, and I consider Mark Williams to fill that role on most other teams. And let’s face it, he will need his minutes reduced to avoid injury.
Which leads us to Oso and KM. Maluach has a lot to prove in Summer League, and judging by the first game against Portland, I thought he did well. Especially if KM and Peat develop a rapport.
But the obvious answer is that Oso as next off the bench. There is no way to determine minutes due to who plays or not due to injury or rest management or even if a small-ball lineup is utilized. So, let’s go with this in a normal rotation:
- Mark Williams: 27 minutes per game (normal health)
- Oso Ighorado: 13 minutes per game
- Maluach: Rest of the minutes to continue his development in either garbage time, rest management, small rotations, or injury. This one is too hard to set for actual minutes
OldAz: In the first couple Summer League games, KM looks bigger and more under control. I just wonder how much of this is a product of the Summer League competition. To me, Williams is the clear starter this season but should be limited to 20-25 minutes a game to keep him healthy over the long haul. KM should also get as many minutes as he shows he is ready for (again up to 25 or so a game).
The center position is physical and demanding, and we want the Suns center to play fast and with sustained energy, so keeping these minutes on the low end of that range is a good thing. This leaves very few minutes for Oso, which I am A-OK with. There are places that his defensive energy helps, as well as his offensive facilitation. However, I would much rather see him get a few minutes trying to fit on the floor as a PF with KM (since KM can shoot from deep a bit). IMO, if the Suns are playing Oso more than 15 minutes a game as the center, they are in for a very long season.
Rod: I just hope that Ott will be flexible with his center rotation this season, adjusting it game-to-game. Of course, Williams should start (for now), but both Oso and Khaman should be getting minutes in almost every game to keep Mark’s wear and tear down to a minimum. With Oso and Khaman, who gets the bulk of the bench minutes should be determined on which one is having the best night on the court and/or the best fit against the competition.
Two things Ott should always keep in mind are that Khaman needs the reps and Mark needs to keep his minutes down. Sooner or later, one of the three will likely be moved, but until then, I believe they can find minutes for all three even though a three-player rotation at one position isn’t generally viewed as optimal.
Q3: What are your thoughts on Ryan Dunn’s probable role this coming season?
zenzino: This one is tough. Unlike Oso, Dunn didn’t show much progress last year from his rookie year. Which is not to say we won’t see a jump this season. Progress is rarely linear.
However, Rod posted a graphic in the Feed last week showing the net ratings of various lineups. Dunn was in the two highest ones (so was GA, btw). So he has that going for him.
Dunn is not a good generalist, so he needs to be a specialist. If he can’t get his 3-point shot going, he should concentrate on rebounding, defense, and getting downhill. I’ve always thought he should do more slashing and be a lob threat, as much as he loves to throw it down.
If he built his identity around something like rebounding, for example, whenever the team is getting beat on the boards, the coach will think, ‘we need Dunn out there to get rebounds.’
I think he is really going to have to fight for minutes. If Highsmith is fully healthy (like he should be), he is a more experienced defender and a much better 3-point shooter.
In order to get regular minutes, Dunn may need to be the Swiss Army knife and adjust what he can do within his skill set to what the team needs done.
Ashton: Not much. This guy has been like the invisible man to me, to the point that I forget he is on the roster. He was originally drafted by the Nuggets in a complicated 2024 draft trade that flipped him to the Suns with the expectation of a defensive role. And I will say this again, as I have said at that time, there should be no expectations of an Anthony Guy Bennett (former Virginia coach) led defense that develops 3 and D wings in college. They are just defense, no threes.
I am still having a hard time seeing his role. Sure, since we just talked about MPG in Q2, Dunn has averaged north of 19 minutes. His three-point shooting percentage is enough to ask for Grayson Allen back. Defensively? Okay, not bad but not earth-shattering. I will salute that he never seems to be injured on the Suns squad.
But if I read that Dunn was shipped out in a future trade, I would not cry a dry wash river.
OldAz: After a promising rookie season, Dunn just never found his footing with the new defensive scheme last season. That is where Dunn must turn things around to make any significant impact this season. I know his shot is still inconsistent, but his form is not bad, so I still think that is a confidence thing. The best way for him to gain confidence and earn playing time is to fit in and make an impact defensively and on the boards. Triggering fast breaks is also the best way to get into rhythm and gain confidence offensively.
However, with Brooks, Bridges, and Fleming in front of him, the presence of veteran options like Highsmith, along with Ott’s willingness to play smaller wings (Goodwin, or sliding Green or Book to that wing spot for extended minutes), Dunn will have to earn any playing time he gets. Swapping Allen and O’Neale for only 1 player in his way for minutes did very little to help Dunn IMO, as his path to more playing time is 100% on him to perform.
Honestly, I think it is more likely that even if he performs well early, he will be talked about all season as one to include in a deal at the trade deadline to fill whatever Phoenix’s biggest need turns out to be.
Rod: At this moment, I would say that Dunn’s role on the team is trying to carve out a role in the rotation this fall. With the new roster additions, competition for minutes is going to be fierce. So far, Dunn’s been an up-and-down player without a lot of consistency…especially on the offensive side of the court. His defense has been good but not stellar; at best, he’s been a streaky three-point shooter, his ball handling is fair but not really good enough in traffic for him to drive through traffic….sigh.
It sounds like I don’t like the guy, but that’s not the case. He puts in the effort on the court and has a great attitude, but that’s just not enough to get consistent rotation minutes in the NBA…not on a good team. Unless he makes some significant progress in at least one aspect of his game this season, I see his role being a deep depth (3rd string) bench player.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Quotes of the Week
“The three-pointer is something good but it’s not my main focus…really it’s just the icing on the cake.” – Khaman Maluach
“I always play with a chip on my shoulder.” – Khaman Maluach
Suns Trivia/History
On July 14, 2004, the Suns signed unrestricted free agent point guard Steve Nash to a six-year, $66 million deal to bring their former 1996 1st round draft pick home after trading him to Dallas in 1998 for Pat Garrity, Martin Muursepp, Bubba Wells and a 1999 1st round draft pick.
On July 14, 2009, the Suns signed Channing Frye as a free agent. Frye would play 4 seasons with the Suns, averaging 14.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 38.8% from three on 6.3 attempts. In the summer of 2012, Frye was diagnosed with an enlarged heart, which necessitated him sitting out the entire 2012-13 season while undergoing medical treatment for his condition. Frye’s treatment was successful, and the following season he returned to the Suns’ active roster, playing in all 82 regular season games for the only time in his 13-year NBA career as he helped the rebuilding Suns finish with a surprising 48-34 record, just falling short of making the playoffs in an extremely strong Western Conference.
On July 18, 1999, Joe Proski, the Phoenix Suns’ only trainer in its history to that point, retired, following 32 years with the franchise, 40 years in professional sports, and 41 years as a trainer. His career spanned 2,789 games, including playoffs.
On July 18, 2001, due largely to being charged with domestic abuse of his wife, the Suns traded 3-time All-Star Jason Kidd (and Chris Dudley) to the New Jersey Nets for Stephon Marbury, Johnny Newman and Soumaila Samake. Marbury would play 3 seasons for the Suns, averaging 21.3 points and 8.1 assists per game, although the Suns would only make it to the playoffs once in those three seasons and were eliminated in the 1st round by San Antonio 4-2. In 2004, the Suns would trade Marbury, Anfernee Hardaway and Cezary Trybański to the New York Knicks for Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, Antonio McDyess, Charlie Ward, Milos Vujanic and two first-round draft picks. Shortly after that, the Suns traded those 2 1st round picks to the Utah Jazz in a salary dumping move. One of those picks was later used to select one-time All-Star Gordon Hayward.
On July 19, 2001, the Phoenix Suns re-signed Dan Majerle to a one-year, $1 million contract. Seven years earlier, Majerle was traded to Cleveland for John “Hot Rod” Williams, a move the Colangelos later regretted. Majerle would play one final season in the NBA and retire as a Sun.
On July 19, 2017, Brandon Knight suffered a torn ACL while playing pickup basketball in Florida. The news broke a week later on July 25, while hitting the papers for the first time on July 26. Knight would miss the entire 2017-18 season and never play for Phoenix again.
Important Future Dates
July 9-19 – NBA 2K Summer League 2026 in Las Vegas
July 15 – Suns vs. Pistons 3:00 PM (local), 6:00 PM (ET) ESPNU
The Suns will play a fifth game based on the results of their first four.
Late September (dates TBD) – NBA Training Camps open
