Phoenix Suns: 3 Players Who Just Played Their Last Game with PHX

Phoenix Suns Not Returning Next Year: Frank Kaminsky

When Dario Saric exited with a torn ACL to start the NBA Finals, it foreshadowed Phoenix’s vulnerability down low. It took until Game 3 for things to really come into fruition, but once starting center Deandre Ayton picked up some early fouls, the Suns started to bleed under the rim.

Trying to patch things up as the team’s only remaining center, Frank Kaminsky began playing big minutes for the Suns. He surely tried his best to serve as an adequate understudy behind Ayton, but Kaminsky failed regardless.

Each time Frank “The Tank” took the floor, he embodied a true defensive liability for the Suns, which the Bucks exploited often. Every time Kaminsky trotted out onto the floor, you counted away the seconds until it became safe for Ayton to return. No player should be connected to a burden such as that.

This lack of muscle down low without Saric went down as perhaps Phoenix’s most fatal flaw during the Finals. Unfortunately, it looks like something that might persist next year though with ACL tears typically taking a full year to recover from.

With Saric out next season, the Suns need a real big to work behind Ayton in order to avoid this glaring issue. That starts with letting Kaminsky walk, and instead spending money on a Serge Ibaka or Nerlens Noel.