The Phoenix Suns needed to stay active in free agency this summer to maintain their status as a contending team, thankfully doing so during the period’s first two days. Amidst the fire sale which saw big names fly off the shelves in the blink of an eye, the Suns saw their roster kick some names to the curb, and welcome back others with open arms.
Phoenix actually began their shopping spree with a swing and miss after Torrey Craig departed for more money to play with the Indiana Pacers. Last year, the Suns essentially stole Craig away from the Milwaukee Bucks, who always played with heart and hustle to which Phoenix will surely miss.
But soon after that, they made four moves to turn things around.
First and foremost, the Suns solidified their backcourt by re-signing Chris Paul and Cameron Payne to long term deals. They also added a backup big man JaVale McGee, certain to add some extra energy to the team’s stockpile.
Additionally, the Suns brought back Abdel Nader on a 2-year, veteran’s minimum deal. He barely played last season while laboring through injuries, yet returns now as an always appreciated “glue guy.”
But even though this offseason already feels quite successful from a general standpoint, some moves seem to lack more potential effectiveness than others. Grading each transaction based on the talent added, its need/fit with the team, and financial implications, grades for each of them go as follows.