Safe or unsafe? The future of the Suns young core
By Assane Drame
With only 20 games left in the NBA’s regular season, it is that time of the year where fans of unsuccessful teams evaluate the talent on the roster moving forward.
This is our time to shine fellow Suns fans! Which of these youngsters on the team do you think have a future with the team in the dessert?
The Suns have been rebuilding for the better part of five years and counting. There was a gap in between where the rebuild looked to be short lived but unfortunately the experiment which saw Isaiah Thomas, Goran Dragic, and Eric Bledsoe on the same team did not live up to expectations.
The blessing in disguise? T.J. Warren and Devin Booker ended up on the team thanks to mid-first round picks.
Phoenix Suns
Fast forward a few years and the Suns look to be adding a franchise player in this upcoming draft to a team that has a few question marks regarding their current crop of young talent.
Who should be considered safe among this current group?
It’s safe to assume Devin Booker is a part of the team for the foreseeable future. He offers fans hope and his improved efficiency on offense this season has caught the eye of many non-Suns supporters.
Josh Jackson and Dragan Bender, both 4th overall selections are safe as well.
Jackson, since the start of the New Year has put up 15.5 ppg and 5.6 rpg while showing promising defensive instincts over that period. Not bad for someone who initially was quietly having a disappointing rookie campaign. His shooting needs improvement but being that it’s his first year, he has time.
Bender on the other hand has seen literally every statistic category rise in his sophomore season. From ppg to eFG% to 3P%. He has shown the positives of what he can do when he’s aggressive on the court. He was considered a project when he was drafted and so far, fans can see the vision.
T.J. Warren and Alan Williams probably aren’t as safe as the former, but you can bet they’re a part of the Suns plans.
Both signed contract extensions which can turn into bargains down the line. Both are productive players when healthy and barring a trade for a big piece, I can’t see the Suns parting ways with either.
It’s the other players that fans may have questions about.
Will the recently acquired Elfrid Payton stick around? He’s a productive player but how much will he cost in order to keep?
What about Marquese Chriss? The 8th overall selection in the 2016 draft has not exactly turned heads this season. With Bender noticeably improving, Williams returning, and Phoenix potentially looking to draft a player for the frontcourt, what is Chriss’ future? Is he a surplus?
Speaking of which, Alex Len could very well be good as gone. Len has shown spurts of being a good center, however, with injuries and inconsistency in play leading to sometimes spotty minutes, it could be a benefit to both sides if they went their separate ways.
Next: What if the Suns actually end up with three first round picks?
And then there is Tyler Ulis. He’s still on a rookie deal so it does not hurt to keep him around. However, there is a reason for A – the Suns dealing for Elfrid Payton and B – Shaq Harrison seeing more time on the court recently than Ulis. How we got from last April to now is both interesting and surprising.
Which young Suns on this roster would you consider safe regarding the teams plans moving forward?