Could Go Either Way
Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss, Davon Reed, Shaquille Harrison, Brandon Knight, Tyson Chandler, Trevor Ariza,
This is the longest list of the four categories – as it should be. There are always going to be a number of players that a franchise is going to need to discuss when deciding who to leave unprotected when the main core is deemed safe, and so there will always be a player (or more) who could have been protected but for whatever reason was not.
Within this one category though I break it down into two sub-categories: the veterans on bigger contracts and the younger players on rookie-scale contracts.
Veterans on Bigger Contracts
Contrary to what many fans of the organization have wanted to happen over the past few seasons, the Phoenix Suns can not just have a roster full of 23-year-olds and younger players. There needs to be a veteran presence on the roster to some degree, players who have been through the grind many times, who are consummate professionals, and who can help foster the youthful talent brought in to guide the franchise into the future.
That said, of the four veterans who would fall under that category, three are in the final year of their deals so losing them to a team whose management is already looking towards the 2019 offseason isn’t all that upsetting – Brandon Knight being the only one with two years left under contract.
Yet, as I wrote recently, in my mind Tyson Chandler is a necessity to help Deandre Ayton break into the league. Also, Trevor Ariza is the best power forward on the roster and as it stands will be the starter this year. Brandon Knight is the only competent starting point guard the team currently has, so if Knight was left unprotected and was selected in an expansion draft, Ryan McDonough would have to scramble to find a player somewhere to lead the team this season while a long-term replacement would have to be found in the summer of ’19.
Younger Players on Rookie-Scale Deals.
While it is difficult to say that Dragan Bender or Marquese Chriss should be left unprotected, they have both been terrible disappointments in their first two seasons in the league so it would not be shocking to me if one or both of them was left unprotected in favor of veterans who have a much better shot at helping the team win a little more this season.
Phoenix Suns
At the same time though, an argument can be made that since they have only been in the league for two seasons they can not be given up on so quickly. Not only was Bender selected fourth overall, but McDonough traded three first round picks and a player to move back into the top-ten to select Chriss. If either team was selected in an expansion draft and suddenly found their footing in the league, Suns fans, management, and ownership would be kicking themselves that they weren’t allowed the opportunity to succeed here.
Davon Reed and Shaq Harrison are in a similar situation, not in regards to where/how the Suns acquired them, but because of their age – why should Phoenix give up on them so quickly?
Reed impressed the heck out of everyone in the Summer League this year, and as a sharp-shooting 3-and-D player at Miami in college, if he can develop into that player this coming season with the Suns, he’d be a great player to have as part of the bench rotation moving forward.
Harrison too impressed once again (as he did at the end of last regular season), and while he might not be the backup point guard on opening night, he’d be a great third point guard, one who plays like the Energizer Bunny, and is a bull on defense.
But as impressive as those two players have been, they are not projected to be long-term fixtures on the team, nor are they not-replaceable. Of course they are. While it would be disappointing to potentially see them go, if either of them had any success on an expansion team, it would not hurt nearly as much as if Bender or Chriss were selected.
When deciding between what veterans and young players to keep protected, this discussion would undoubtedly be the most difficult.