Utilise or Trade him? Phoenix Suns face decision with valuable role player

In a highly-competitive league with a number of teams vying for championship contention, the Phoenix Suns need to garner productive value from every single player on their roster.

That’s even more vital when discussing players who are considered crucial parts of the rotation, particularly when it comes to determining their viability come playoff time.

The Phoenix Suns are facing a decision on backup guard Landry Shamet, with a resolution needing to be made by early next season.

When the Suns traded for Landry Shamet just over a year ago, they knew exactly the type of player they were getting – a knockdown three-point shooter who could provide a spark off the bench but had limited capacity in other aspects.

After one full season in Phoenix, it’s fair to say the 25-year-old hasn’t been utilised to the full extent of his value. Is that a fault of the franchise and in particular the coaching staff, or is it on Shamet himself and a lack of development?

Either way, it’s an underrated area that needs to be addressed. The simple preface is that Shamet has one identifiably elite NBA skill, and when that’s not being functionally employed, then his overall value as a player is severely diminished.

In his 2018-19 rookie year, Shamet came into the league and immediately shot 42.2% from three on five attempts per game. He backed that up with 37.5% on 5.6 attempts in his second season, and 38.7% on 5.5 attempts in his third.

But in his fourth season, his first in Phoenix, both his efficiency and quantity dropped off. Shamet took 4.8 three-point attempts per game (less than his rookie season) and shot a career-low 36.8%.

There’s obvious reasons for that, the first being that he simply just averaged less minutes. The other more poignant factor is the Suns’ offensive style, prioritising traditional pick-and-roll basketball over off-ball screens and pin downs where three-point shooters can come off and get open looks. As a result, Phoenix averaged the fifth-least three-point attempts in the league last season.

Perhaps he just isn’t a great fit in this system. That’s fine. But if the Suns themselves identify that, then why not look for someone who is. Shamet makes around $20 million over the next two seasons, has a non-guaranteed deal for 2024-25, and a team option for 2025-26.

That’s a long extension for someone whose value is only going to decrease should he not be used effectively. Still, there’d undoubtedly be suitors for Shamet given the incredible value that teams place on three-point shooting.

A decision needs to be made on his value from a Suns perspective. Can the coaching staff get Shamet enough three-point looks to provide full worth? If not, then his value should lie in the front office moving him on for a more suitable asset.