3 former Phoenix Suns you forgot were appearing in playoffs this year

The NBA playoffs are about to get underway, and the Phoenix Suns are going to have to be content watching the action unfold from at home, Cancun or wherever it is they are taking some time away after a miserable season. Owner Mat Ishbia might have come out swinging in his exit interview - Mike Budenholzer didn't even get one of those - but there are no quick fixes here.

The biggest questions hanging over the franchise are what to do with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. We know 36-year-old Durant is likely to be traded at some point during the summer, and Ishbia is bullish on the prospect of also moving on from Beal. Right now it is unclear what role players will be back in The Valley next season.

The Suns could have done with some former players entering playoffs.

On paper the likes of Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and Tyus Jones make a lot of sense around Durant, Beal and Devin Booker, but the reality has been very different. Instead there are three former Suns who are getting ready to compete in the playoffs, and at least two of these could have helped the team this season.

3. Cameron Payne

Has there been a more divisive role player in Phoenix since the turn of the decade than point guard Cameron Payne? On the one hand he is a limited offensive player with a streaky and unique left-handed jumper who can be badly exposed defensively. These were among the main reasons fans had no problem watching him go as the team evolved after the run to the 2021 NBA Finals.

Yet on the other Payne is a fearless player who - despite being a bit too "I got this guys" in his approach to big games - was one of the few Suns who stood up and was counted in previous playoff failures. He's going to miss some shots, but you can always be certain he won't be afraid of the moment. Even if the moment isn't designed for him specifically.

It is no surprise he now finds himself with the New York Knicks, with their own fanbase having a similar relationship with him. On some nights he's exactly what they need off the bench, providing a scoring spark and making the right pass to teammates. On others he takes too much out of the ball, and frustrates by playing like a below-average backup floor general in this league.

Payne will likely make the back end of the Knicks' playoff rotation - he managed a shade over 15 minutes per night during the regular season - but we also know their head coach Tom Thibodeau will run his starters into the ground. We're not saying swapping Tyus Jones out for Payne would have made this season any better. But we are saying it is worth thinking about.

2. Derrick Jones Jr.

It's not like Derrick Jones Jr. is the one that got away in Phoenix, but he's turned into such a reliable role player who does a lot of the things this roster desperately lacks. It is fair to point out that he has bounced around the league a bit - and yet wherever he pops up - he always seems to have those few moments you remember him for.

Last season he was part of a Dallas Mavericks group that made it all the way to the finals, and he started every single game of the postseason journey. Really think about that for a second. If the Suns had made the playoffs, how many guys outside of Booker and Durant would you have been comfortable starting no matter who the matchup was?

Jones Jr. moved on to the L.A. Clippers for 2024-25, and has been extremely important as they've rounded into form ahead of the playoffs. Still only 28-years-old, he's the perfect role player next to James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. In other words, his athleticism and willingness to defend elite players whether starting or coming off the bench is exactly what the Suns have been lacking.

Think of Jones Jr. as a more athletic - but probably less willing defensively - version of rookie Ryan Dunn. In five years it is hoped Dunn could be even better than Jones Jr. is now, but if you're trying to be competitive this year, then Jones Jr. gives you the better chance of doing so. He's hardly one that got away, but waiving him early in his career does feel like a mistake at this point.

1. P.J. Tucker

The Knicks have turned into something of a refuge for former Suns players, as they boast Payne, Landry Shamet and P.J. Tucker. You could also make the case that of these three players, Shamet is the one the team could have done with the most this season. When he gets hot from deep he can go off, and he is comfortable coming off the bench.

Tucker on the other hand looked miserable in Phoenix last season, and said as much by going public with how unhappy he was with his role there. Yet another reason previous head coach Frank Vogel was doing an excellent job, managing to get something out of Tucker at a time when he didn't even look like he wanted to be there.

Even if the Suns didn't exactly miss Tucker this season - and he didn't do much better with the Philadelphia 76ers before winding up in New York - he does bring one intangible that was painfully lacking. When he is engaged, he looks like he cares each night and he doesn't mind being physical with opponents.

Contrast that with what we saw from the Suns, who finished 27th in defensive rating and who let all manner of teams walk all over them. It didn't matter if they had more talent, were young and wanted it more or were feisty veterans, every type of opponent got the better of the Suns at some point. Tucker alone couldn't have stopped that, but on some nights he would have tried.