After being traded to the Phoenix Suns for Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis, Suns fans couldn’t help but take a trip down memory lane when they first heard the name “Amir Coffey”.
Because what Suns fans most remember Amir Coffey for is something that he was not even involved in.
It was Coffey’s face in Denver on the big screen in March
of 2022, in place of Devin Booker’s, for the Suns’ starting lineups. We all remember what Booker did that game after being “disrespected.”
Before playing for the Milwaukee Bucks this season, Coffey played for the Los Angeles Clippers for the first six years of his career. Which means he has seen multiple iterations of the Suns while playing for the Clippers. He has been bounced out of the playoffs by the Suns twice and has matched up against Booker many times in his career. He has played against the Suns 18 times total.
“I mean, everybody knows Dev, he’s a great player,” Coffey said during his media availability. “You know, things run through him, and he’s on all scouts and everything. So those battles were definitely good.”
Coffey has averaged 6.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game on 45.5% shooting from the field, and a respectable 38.1% from three in his NBA career. Coffey is a 6-foot-7 3-and-D wing that has stayed in the league because of his ability to defend and shoot from long range. Coffey is not the big, power forward type player the Suns wanted at the deadline, but he is a perfect fit for what the Suns want to do. He plays hard, defends well, and can knock down open shots.
“Yeah, I think it’s gonna be good. Just what I can do and add to the team. I’m somebody that can play on both sides of the ball,” Coffey said. “You know, on defense guard, multiple positions, switch out, and you know, offensive spacer, just do what I do and emulate myself into the offense.”
Coffey has basketball in his blood. His two older sisters played college basketball at Marist and Northwestern, and his sister Nia plays in the WNBA. His father played at the University of Minnesota and played for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA. Coffey followed in his father’s footsteps and was a three-year starter in college for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. In his junior year, he averaged 16.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists and was named Third Team All-Big Ten. Then he left for the NBA and went undrafted, just like a handful of his current Suns teammates.
Coffey signed with the Clippers out of college but played sparingly in his first two seasons in the league. Then, in his third season, he had a breakout year. He appeared in 69 games, started 30 games, and averaged 9.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.
Since that season, Coffey’s minutes bounced around depending on the health of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and other wings ahead of him in the Clippers rotation. In the 2024-25 season, he scored a career high of 9.7 points and shot over 40% from three with the Clippers. Coffey then decided to go to the Bucks this offseason and was in and out of the rotation for Milwaukee this season.
Coffey was not sure if he was getting traded at the deadline, but now that he has experienced that for the first time in his career, he is ready to be a Phoenix Sun.
“You know, it’s always weird around the deadline. Trying to wait to see what’s going to happen,” Coffey said. “But, you know, I’m definitely blessed to be in this position. I’m grateful for the opportunity. ready to get going.”
With Grayson Allen and Isaiah Livers both injured, the Suns need depth and versatility at the wing position, a role that Coffey can fill right now.
“I’ll be able to switch one through four, one through three, whatever they need, guard different positions, and kind of just work myself into how they play,” Coffey said. “Like run and gun and everybody’s covering for each other. A little bit of tenacity in there. So, just getting terminology down and what we’re looking for, I think it is going to be good.”
Whether Coffey blossoms into a 10-t0-20 minute a game role player for the Suns, or only plays in garbage time, Coffey is a valuable addition to the Suns for the home stretch of the season. He brings more versatility and length to a Suns roster that has had to battle through the injury bug this season. While he is on a one-year contract that expires at the end of the season, the Suns can resign him this offseason and should resign him if they move off of any of the other wings in front of him, like Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen, or Jordan Goodwin.
With the addition of Amir Coffey, the Suns got even better on defense and became an even deeper team.
