Valley of the Suns
Fansided

Realistic starting 5 for the Phoenix Suns 5 years from now

By Luke Duffy

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JANUARY 08: Darius Garland #10 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on January 08, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Cavaliers beat the Suns 112-98. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JANUARY 08: Darius Garland #10 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on January 08, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Cavaliers beat the Suns 112-98. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /
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MANILA, PHILIPPINES – SEPTEMBER 10: Josh Hart of the United States reacts. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – SEPTEMBER 10: Josh Hart of the United States reacts. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images) /

Small Forward – Josh Hart

Another Knicks player? Is that really the direction the Suns want to be going in here? Josh Hart is a lot more than that however, and although he was a part of the Team USA roster that didn’t medal at the FIBA World Cup recently, he is a known quantity at this stage.

Hart will be 33-years-old by the time 2028-29 starts, and in all likelihood will be a free agent in the summer of 2028 as well. We’re taking a calculated guess here, but Hart does not look likely to win a championship while with the Knicks. That’s not a knock on that organization, it just speaks to the difficulty of actually winning.

We’ve watched this offseason as the likes of Eric Gordon and Yuta Watanabe took the veteran’s minimum in order to join a contender in the Suns. It would be similar with Hart, who will have made the bulk of his money, and who at that stage of his career will only be interested in winning a ring.

Hart would also be a better version of what Josh Okogie and Torrey Craig before him have been for this roster. A strong perimeter defender who will be tasked with shutting down high level scorers. He does this already, and as somebody who only entered the league in 2017 as a 22-year-old, should have the legs to still be a big time player in five years time.

The Suns in 2023-24 are imbalanced because of the sheer amount of star power they possess. But once Durant retires, that will all change. It will be about building a more balanced roster around the top five talents of Booker, and Hart certainly falls under that category at a cost that will not break the bank.

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