Welcome to the First Annual Phoenix Suns Free Agency Value Column, shamelessly adapted (read: stolen) from Grantland’s Bill Simmons!
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Last summer’s free agency bonanza was a success on paper. Isaiah Thomas, one of five players in the league to average 20 points and six assists per game, was brought in on an absolute steal of a contract. Phoenix avoided the pitfall of overpaying an aging veteran in Channing Frye and managed to avoid losing Eric Bledsoe for nothing, even though that meant overpaying for him.
Of course, the on-court results didn’t quite pan out. Thomas played well, but his presence divided a previously united locker room, and Frye’s shooting was dearly missed with his replacement Anthony Tolliver never making an impact before getting dealt to the Detroit Pistons in December.
While Suns general manager Ryan McDonough will have his share of difficult decisions to make on the high seas of the open market, it’s pretty clear what he needs to do in his own pond.
But just in case he has more trouble than I did, I wrote him this column! I ranked all five of the Suns’ impending unrestricted free agents from least valuable to most, taking into account fit, upside, the money they’ll command and overall talent of the player.
Without further ado, let’s get to the rankings!
Next: No. 5