Evaluating HoopsHype’s top-5 FA PGs for the Phoenix Suns
By Adam Maynes
The Phoenix Suns may be on their way to huge cap space this offseason setting themselves up to go after a big fish free agent point guard that wasn’t a possibility before. Let’s look at HoopsHype’s top-five free agent point guards.
Phoenix Suns fans entered the draft with the expectation that James Jones would be fishing for point guard options in the $10-$15 million dollar range. An upgrade over who they have, but not someone who was ever going to be a long-term difference maker on the team.
For most fans, that option was at least good enough because better than what they have now means better, so if even not great, wins should come much more often than 19 times in a year.
But then General Manager James Jones traded T.J. Warren (as well as the 32nd overall pick) to the Indiana Pacers in a complete salary dump receiving absolutely nothing in return but cash considerations.
Suddenly the Suns went from about $9 million dollars under the cap to closer to $20 million.
If Jones can find a similar taker for Josh Jackson, Phoenix will be in the mid-$20’s range.
Find a way out of Tyler Johnson‘s final year of his contract, which could mean stretch and waive, and the Phoenix Suns will have salary cap space in excess of $40 million dollars.
It’s a lot of moving parts and it means dumping three players for absolutely nothing, but the ability to then spend even more money on a single and legitimate point guard (if not more than one player), means the Suns can take an even larger leap over last season’s abysmal team.
Should that happen, should James Jones be able to clear enough space to pay a player a lot more money, meaning he can acquire a much better player, the question becomes who might that player be?
Fortunately HoopsHype has a list of the top-five best free agent point guards available this summer, all of whom could become an option in the near future for the Phoenix Suns.
Let us evaluate each player, their potential for coming to Phoenix, and how they would fit on a young Suns team.