The Phoenix Suns have been linked to former All-Star center Nikola Vucevic in the past, although just how serious any conversations with his then team the Chicago Bulls were is unclear.
The 35-year-old instead traded to the Boston Celtics where he flamed out in the postseason once more, his inability to defend larger centers exposed on the biggest stage.
Vucevic to the Suns this offseason makes sense for all involved
But with the Montenegrin now an unrestricted free agent and with his defensive woes having again been laid bare for all to see, the time may be now for the Suns to bring in a guy who remains one of the better offensive centers in the league.
Timing is everything, and the future of Mark Williams is unclear in The Valley right now. A sign-and-trade makes sense if you're the Suns, although who they could send the 24-year-old to remains to be seen.
If they do part ways with a player who again got injured at the wrong time and didn't feature in the playoffs, then Vucevic would represent the perfect short-term solution if he is willing to come to Phoenix for little money. Unthinkable a few years ago, but with over $210 million in career earnings and with interest in his services likely to be minimal, it could happen.
Vucevic would represent the perfect foil for raw prospect Khaman Maluach, who is not ready to start and to this point has only shown flashes of dominance on the defensive end.
Imagine starting a game with Vucevic manning the paint and getting some buckets, before letting Maluach enter to tighten the game up on the defensive end.
Another positive that would come from this is just how much Maluach could learn from Vucevic by practicing with him so frequently. His footwork remains elite, while these days he is above league average from 3-point range and even went over 40 percent in 2024-25 in Chicago on over four attempts per game.
Head coach Jordan Ott has already built an impressive platform defensively, and while Vucevic would hurt that he would also diversify the offense around Booker.
Like a more polished version of what Jusuf Nurkic was supposed to bring to The Valley, although the timing on a move like this also makes sense now as well.
It is far from a perfect solution, but if Williams is going to be moved and with Maluach needing a polished offensive veteran to work with, one year of Vucevic makes sense for everybody involved. Best case scenario it could also see "Vooch" traded back to a contender at the deadline, with the Suns picking up a valuable asset in return.
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