Phoenix Suns Free Agency Value Column: Money Talks
By Gavin Schall
4. Marcus Thornton
He’s played a total of 81 minutes, missed 10 games before returning earlier this month against the Atlanta Hawks and I may or may not have temporarily forgotten he’s on the roster.
It’s equally easy to forget that at one point in his career Thornton looked like a valuable asset. His second season in the league, he averaged over 21 points a game on a relatively efficient 53 percent true shooting percentage over a 37-game stretch with the Sacramento Kings. His base stats steadily declined from that peak until a minor bump up this season.
Assuming Thornton’s game (versus his confidence/fit) hasn’t actually devolved over the years, he could still be a positive off the bench…just not in Phoenix. Thornton’s yet another shoot-first player on a team full of them and he hasn’t been quite good enough or young enough to justify his presence on the roster.
Thornton had a good game & could be a great addition off bench to a team looking to make the playoffs, but the Suns aren't in that position
— Sean Sullivan (@SeanSullivanNBA) March 12, 2015
Thornton’s certainly not a long-term fit, but that doesn’t necessarily preclude Phoenix from re-signing him at the right price. McDonough understands the inherent value of signing a tradable contract regardless of need.
While Thomas (who was most likely signed with the same logic) obviously didn’t work out, Thornton wouldn’t play a significant enough role to provoke the same chemistry issues.
While players like Gerald Green and Brandan Wright seemed more confident about their futures in Phoenix after meeting with the team’s brain trust, Thornton dropped this bravado.
“Who knows? Who knows? Just go in and work this summer and let the chips fall where they may and see what happens,” Thornton said.
Definitely not the epitome of confidence.
The smart money is on the Suns letting him go, but tossing him an extremely team friendly offer and seeing if he bites isn’t out of the question.
Next: No. 3