The Verdict: Re-sign Brandan Wright
Free agency this summer will most likely begin with re-signing Brandon Knight to a long-term deal. That deal will probably be a tad inflated, though he’s only 23 years old and has plenty of time to grow as a player. In any event, if the Suns re-sign Knight, they should probably just go ahead and lock up the other Brandan too.
Why? Well, as we’ve already covered, a new deal for Knight will eat into most of Phoenix’s remaining cap room to sign free agents this summer. Unless the Suns engineer a trade before that time (the Morris twins continue to be mentioned in this category), that’s the harsh reality of what their cap situation looks like.
What other high profile, game-changing free agent are the Suns going to be able to land with only $9 million to offer?
Wright, on the other hand, could be a useful backup as the young players continue to mature. He’s an excellent teammate, he has more playoff experience than 95 percent of the roster and he showed signs near the end of the season of being able to contribute off the pine.
He may not be around when this team finally works its way back to contender status, and he certainly shouldn’t be a top priority over some of the summer’s hottest free agency names.
But assuming the Suns are unable to work their way into the conversation for this offseason’s top stars, Wright could be a helpful building block in the meantime. Unless the Suns have some grandiose offseason plan in the works, they’d help establish a more long-term approach to rebuilding by re-signing Brandon and Brandan.
Next: Phoenix Suns: Salary Cap Explosion May Hinder Rebuilding