3. Phoenix Suns
The Suns never fail to avoid drama, and this offseason is no exception. Things started off so well, starting off with drafting what looks to be an excellent pick in Devin Booker, whose shooting and explosiveness could pave the way to an impressive NBA career.
Next came free agency, where the Suns acted early and re-signed Brandon Knight to a five-year, $70 million contract. Some would say it’s a bit too high for a player like Knight, but we saw that with the cap going up soon, many teams were willing to slightly (or drastically) overpay for players if it means having them on their team.
After signing veteran center Tyson Chandler to a four-year, $52 million deal, many thought that Phoenix’s free agency attack would be over, but the temptation of LaMarcus Aldridge had the Suns using everything in their arsenal to lure him to the Valley. In an attempt to get Aldridge, the Suns cleared some cap space by trading a bundle of players (mainly Marcus Morris) to Detroit for just a draft pick. To top that off, the City of Phoenix almost unfurled a massive LaMarcus Aldridge banner in downtown Phoenix.
Hey @aldridge_12, check out what we’re dropping in Downtown PHX tomorrow! #WeArePHX #LMAtoPHX pic.twitter.com/963VFHu6QC
— Greg Stanton (@gregstantonaz) July 4, 2015
Obviously none of this worked, since Aldridge signed a deal with San Antonio, but Phoenix earned somewhat of a moral victory by entering the top two destinations with the Spurs, when nobody (including myself) expected Aldridge to end up anywhere but San Antonio.
In Summer League, Phoenix would be bested by the Spurs again, but showcased young talent in the process, mainly Archie Goodwin, T.J. Warren and Devin Booker.
Once the true dead portion of the NBA offseason arrived, Markieff Morris made it clear that he wished to be traded, preferably to the Rockets or Raptors. This possible trade could define the Suns’ season, because Markieff is an up-and-coming NBA talent and if the Suns don’t receive enough back in his inevitable trade, then Phoenix will really feel the pain of losing one of its best players from last season.
Even with the Markieff Morris scenario hanging over the team, the Suns have a pretty decent squad. A core of defensive center Tyson Chandler and point guards Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight will be complemented by a decent bench and young talent such as Warren, Booker and Goodwin.
The Suns won’t be a dominant team next season, but with more veteran leadership, and fewer knuckleheads, Phoenix has a reasonable shot at snatching the eighth seed.
Projected Record: 44-38
Next: No. 2