Former Chris Paul Teammates for the Phoenix Suns to Sign: Mike Muscala
Mike Muscala played with Chris Paul during his stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder like Schroder, but he fits this Suns team in a similar way Hartenstein does.
Able to play the four and the five, he resembles a possible bench piece to pick up any slack left behind by an Ayton departure, but could also become an insurance option at power forward should Dario Saric struggle in his ACL recovery out of the gate.
Now, Muscala did undergo ankle surgery that ended his 2021-22 season roughly four months ago, so his own injury history makes him a far less attractive option compared to Hartenstein. Some chips also need to fall before Phoenix can add him with the Thunder possessing a club option on his deal.
"I'll always be a #Thunder fan and always rooting for the Thunder."
— Luke Slabaugh (@LukeSlabaugh) May 17, 2021
Mike Muscala tears up as he reflects on his time in OKC and approaches free agency. pic.twitter.com/Ku25ZTtEX4
He does resemble a cheap addition if we reach that point though, which is the only kind Phoenix’s current cap situation will allow them to make down this summer.
Muscala resembles a slightly better floor spacer than Hartenstein though. This past year, he shot a career-high 42.9 percent from three on a more respectable 3.8 attempts per game.
He does not resemble a strong threat at the defensive end, so by no means should James Jones make signing him a top priority this summer. Yet, Muscala still does carry enough offensive tools to provide Phoenix with a spark off the bench, which is really all you can ask of back end bench filler.