Ranking four point guards the Phoenix Suns may target in free agency

After reports suggesting the Phoenix Suns were “open to trading” the sixth pick for a veteran point guard were disputed by John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports, a new set of free agent guards have emerged as possible candidates to fill the Grand Canyon-sized void. Let’s rank them.

Recently, Valley of the Suns Site Editor Adam Maynes discussed a tweet by John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports in which Gambo mentioned four particular veteran point guards that he believes the Phoenix Suns will have interest in.

Adam essentially ranked them and laid up the pros and cons of each.

To be honest, he got the ranking all wrong and I want to offer my opinion on the matter now:

In the weeks leading up to draft night, smoke screens have become a normal part of the process.

Greedy organizations looking to boost the trade value of one of their valuable assets like to plant false rumors in the media, hoping a franchise takes the bait and offers more for their player than originally intended.

The result is a multitude of disputing reports and above all – confusion.

Welcome to the NBA offseason!

Unfortunately, it appears the Phoenix Suns have become caught up in a smoke screen of their own – starting with this report:

Followed by this rumor by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony:

Suns Twitter exploded into a frenzy.

Could they actually be targeting Lonzo Ball? How would Spencer Dinwiddie fit with Devin Booker? Could Chris Paul install bionic legs and continue his career in Phoenix?

A few day later, Suns fans were somewhat brought down to Earth again:

Oh. Not quite the names Phoenix fans expecting a huge splash wanted to hear. Nevertheless, some of these free agents are intriguing placeholders and could be worthy sidekicks in a Booker-led backcourt.

I decided to rank them based on talent and overall fit as potential Suns starting point guards.

#4 T.J. McConnell

T.J. McConnell has become a social media darling, but not so much for his impact on the game.

The undersized Sixers backup can be seen in the background of most Philadelphia highlights – waving towels, fiercely clapping or hollering until his face resembles a tomato. Think Drake with a NBA contract and less shoulder rubs.

But what can the Suns accomplish with a player more known for his court storming than his court vision?

McConnell is a local product, signing with the Sixers as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona in 2015.

The 6’2, 190lb point guard has made himself comfortable as a limited contributor on a NBA roster by making his opponents as uncomfortable as possible. He’s a spark plug off the bench – using his high motor and pesky defensive attack to frustrate opposing guards into making poor decisions.

He’s not going to set the hoop on fire, but he makes specific plays that don’t appear on the stat sheet. Deflections. Hustling for loose balls. Setting charges. If you need effort, McConnell is going to leave it all out on the floor.

He’ll be cheap, and if the Suns plan to retain restricted free agent Kelly Oubre Jr., cheap might be all Phoenix may be able to afford.

Though he has played meaningful playoff minutes and been a thorn in the side of numerous teams in the league, it’s hard to shake the fact that McConnell might have already hit his ceiling as a playmaker.

And with a career 6.4 points per game with just under five assists, no amount of hustle plays will be able to help the Suns escape from being in the same position they were at the start of last season – without an impactful point guard.

#3 Cory Joseph

Finding Cory Joseph highlights is like finding clips of Kawhi Leonard showing any type of emotion – few and far between.

Another place you might not find the backup Pacer point guard is on the injury report. Joseph is as durable as they come, playing 82 games in back-to-back seasons for an Indiana team that has struggled immensely in that department.

Oh yeah, and he’s an NBA champion, winning a ring with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014.

On the offensive end, the Toronto native leaves much to be desired.

His inconsistencies as a shooter are well-documented and his 3-point jumper went frigid at times last season.

Defense is another story. Joseph prides himself with his elite perimeter skills, sucking up the airspace of opposing guards and constantly contesting shots. He has the instincts to play passing lanes and tally up steals at will, leading to easy transition buckets.

Even with limited playing time, Joseph managed to make his presence felt on a squad that ranked third in defensive rating last season.

With Booker making regular appearances on the injury report the last couple seasons, it would be nice to have a reliable backcourt contributor who can avoid the hospital bed.

With that being said, even when healthy, it still remains to be seen how Joseph can handle a starting point guard role with starting point guard minutes.

When it’s crunch time and possessions start to increase in importance, is Joseph really a true upgrade over Tyler Johnson?

I believe the Suns should go bigger.

#2 Patrick Beverley

Patrick Beverley is a player you have a burning hatred for…..until he’s on your team.

Let’s update the Beverley Beef List: Kevin Durant, Lonzo Ball, the entire Oklahoma City Thunder roster, every non-Los Angeles Clippers fan in the league.

He plays with an unapologetic competitive edge that can get under the skin of any player he’s tasked to defend. Call it passionate. Call it dirty. Beverley doesn’t care – as long as his presence is felt on the floor.

His 7.6 points and almost four assists per game don’t jump out at you on paper, but Beverley is another one of those players whose impact far outweighs his statistics.

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He is an unselfish veteran who always seems to make the right play to help his team win.

His 3.5 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks tied for third among free agent point guards.

He isn’t a slouch when it comes to shooting either – sinking 41 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3’s last year.

Beverley can be a reliable backcourt sidekick to a star player, spacing the floor and providing an additional ball handler that can make countless plays.

The 30-year-old plays with a gritty defensive intensity that is contagious amongst his peers.

The Suns, at times last year, appeared lazy and lackadaisical when defending opponents on the perimeter and around the rim. Beverley, a two-time All-Defensive Team member, can instantly change that mentality. He will matchup with tougher assignments to mask Booker’s defensive inefficiencies and inspire the team’s will to win in the process.

Signing Beverley to a reasonable deal will put the Suns on the fast track to win a lot more games next season.

#1 Darren Collison

When listing the top sharpshooting guards the NBA has to offer, it would probably take you a while before you reach the name Darren Collison.

Averaging just over 11 points per game last season, the former Pacer usually flies under the radar in most point guard discussions.

But make no mistake about it, Collison can let it fly from deep – shooting a league-leading 46.8 percent during the 2017-18 season and following it up with a hair over 40 percent last year. In fact, the 31-year-old journeyman has shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc each of the last four seasons.

Phoenix Suns

Collison is an expert at making plays when he isn’t necessarily the primary focal point in an offense.

Constantly deferring to superstar Victor Oladipo, he has grown accustomed to knowing his role on a team and executing that role to the benefit of his squad.

When Oladipo would penetrate into multiple defenders, Collison would be drifting along the perimeter, searching for an open window for a knockdown bucket.

When Oladipo went down with a serious knee injury, Collison was forced to shoulder a heavier workload – and he answered the call, showing creativity off the dribble, in the pick & roll and kept the Pacers afloat in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Collison’s fit alongside budding star Booker would be exactly what the Phoenix Suns are looking for.

His efficient shooting would help a team that was a putrid last in the league in 3-point percentage last season. His ball-handling and playmaking would be miles ahead of the De’anthony Melton, Elie Okobo, Tyler Johnson “three-headed monster” the Suns pushed out all year.

The veteran experience he has acquired from playing on six different teams over the course of his career and recently sharing the backcourt with a franchise centerpiece edges out any young hotshot teenager coming out of college.

Darren Collison may not be the flashiest decision to fill up the Phoenix point guard spot, but if the sixth pick in the draft isn’t up for sale, he is the right decision.