Phoenix Suns: Grading Each Free Agency Move Thus Far

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.

Phoenix Suns Offseason Move: Re-signing Cameron Payne

During Game 6 of the NBA Finals, Cameron Payne came off the bench to score a quick 10 points in 10 minutes. After Phoenix went on to lose the contest, and consequently end their season, most fans feared that they just watched Payne provide his last spark for the Suns, set to become a free agent down the road.

But much to everyone’s surprise, the Suns re-secured Payne with a real bargain deal, paying him $19 million over three years. Shortly after the news broke, Payne added his own exclamation point to it, reassuring his commitment to winning with the Suns on Twitter.

Payne just finished off an extremely successful season where proved himself as a top tier NBA guard off the bench. For his 2021 campaign, he averaged 8.4 points and 3.6 assists per game, while shooting 44.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Payne even illustrated his potential ability to one day serve as a starter while deputising for Chris Paul. This took place especially in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, where Payne scored 29 points while dishing out nine assists as Paul quarantined following a COVID-19 diagnosis.

All this presented Payne with a solid opportunity to ask for nearly $10 million a year, so him instead signing him to a deal like this feels like an all too early Christmas gift for the Suns. Additionally, it indicates Payne’s loyalty to the franchise who took a chance on him when no-one else did, making him that much easier to root for.

Grade: A+

Phoenix Suns Offseason Move: Re-signing Chris Paul

Chris Paul’s four year, $120 million deal sent Twitter into an absolute frenzy once announced. But once the contract’s details reached the surface, it became apparent that the agreement was not as fat and juicy as initially thought, with its fourth year carrying a team option.

The contract’s third year does not come fully guaranteed either, presenting Phoenix with options should Paul’s age catch up to him during his new tenure.

So with this contract, the Suns maintain their cap flexibility ahead the 2024 season, while also retaining a player coming off two consecutive All-NBA selections. But even beyond all his accolades, it was Paul who primarily brought the Suns back from the dead last year, elevating them to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993, consequently making him a far too important asset to let freely walk away.

Paul’s age at 36-years old still remains a factor though. CP3 will likely reach his cliff before this deal expires. This move still earns a solid grade, but will ultimately loose its luster as we move into the future, unlike with Payne’s.

Grade: A

Phoenix Suns Free Agency Move: Signing JaVale McGee

After retaining their point guards from last season, the Suns next looked to address the center spot during free agency by adding JaVale McGee to their roster—who ironically played his last minutes of the 2021 season against Phoenix.

McGee for the most part struggled vs the Suns and played only minimally during their Western Conference Semifinals series. It came as the second-straight year where McGee played as an essential non-factor during the postseason.

Lacking much credibility as a player at this point, the Suns signed McGee with one clear thing in mind: size against bigger teams. During the NBA Finals and at times against the Los Angeles Lakers weeks before, it became clear that Phoenix lacked the size outside Ayton required to properly protect the rim.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis both enjoyed great spurts due to this, giving way to great concern for the Suns. Although McGee does not possess enough quickness to stay between the basket and Antetokounmpo or Davis, his rim protection, thanks to his height, poises to still make something of a difference.

He also comes to Phoenix as a lob threat at all times, thanks again to his stature beside his absurd vertical leap.

Grade: B

Phoenix Suns Free Agency Move: Signing Abdel Nader

The Suns also brought back Abdel Nader for two more years, attached to a veteran’s minimum contract. As a solid, end rotation player, Nader provided value for the Suns largely with his 42.0 3-point percentage last year, helping his team space the floor and establish ball movement.

During the playoffs, Nader’s minutes dropped down to 6.0 per game, playing mainly during “garbage time” sequences. He failed to make a single 3-pointer during the postseason, making his presence very forgettable.

But under a minimum contract, the needle shifts neither positively nor negatively above him. The biggest question pertaining to Nader deals with his health though. If he manages to stay on the floor for the 2021-22 season, this deal could come back as a solid bargin.

Grade: C