The Phoenix Suns could badly use a point guard this offseason. These five players are their best bets to fill the position in free agency.
After Brandon Knight‘s injury and the Eric Bledsoe trade, the Suns quickly figured out that they didn’t have another option at point guard. And now the draft has come and gone and the Suns still don’t have a great answer at the point guard position. Elie Okobo was a second round pick that might be a future starter, but he’s not ready for the starting spot.
The Suns can be a fringe playoff team with a good point guard next year. In fact, the Suns weren’t always the worst team in the NBA. In the first 30 games that Tyson Chandler, T.J. Warren, and Devin Booker started together, the team went a mediocre 13-17.
At 13-17, the Suns had a 0.433 winning percentage, which means they were on pace for 35-36 wins. Although that’s a small sample size, it shows the Suns don’t have to make as big of a jump as a team like the Kings or the Hawks.
The Nuggets missed the playoffs by one game with 46 wins. So statistically, if the Suns make a ten game improvement, they’re a fringe playoff team. The Suns did open up with an easy schedule, so maybe 15 more wins is a better margin.
Fifteen games is a very large margin, but the Suns have already improved in many ways, such as hiring a real coach and adding two lottery picks.
However, the Suns still seem a long ways from making the playoffs and need to improve the point guard spot to have a chance.
Maybe the current roster can fill that hole? Brandon Knight is coming back after having knee surgery and has a place with Bledsoe gone. With a real coach, Booker or even Warren and Jackson might be effective as point guards.
While the current roster has possibilities, Ryan McDonough has said the Suns will target point guards.
Looking at the free agent market, there aren’t any great long term fits for the Suns, which makes the position about the near future. It also means the Suns should sign a short term contract if they are paying a lot of money. Otherwise, the Suns will be stuck when a better situation comes along.
Who are the Suns top five options to help them become a playoff contender next season?