For all of the roster moves that the Phoenix Suns made this offseason - with no fewer than 11 new faces in the door in The Valley - one deal they couldn't get over the line was that of Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors. The 22-year-old stuck between wanting a new long-term deal in San Francisco, but not being offered the money he felt he should have been by that franchise.
This has led to a summer long saga which still has not reached its conclusion - and although the Suns attempted to test the Warriors' resolve - netting Kuminga always felt too ambitious. Especially when the package of Nick Richards, Royce O'Neale and four second round picks was bandied about as the best Phoenix could offer. Even if you add in Grayson Allen as well, it is not enough.
Suns right to not include Oso Ighodaro in potential package.
One young player who perhaps could have gotten the Warriors to pick up the phone is forward Oso Ighodaro. After a solid rookie season, the second round pick looked like a man amongst boys during some promising Summer League play. He was so good in fact, that we put forward the idea that the Boston Celtics should be seriously interested in his services.
It is clear Ighodaro's stock is on the rise, and that trajectory only continued at media day. In answering a question from Dana Scott of Arizona Sports about his shooting form - and which Duane Rankin got video of - Ighodaro's response was equal parts thoughtful and also self-aware about what it is going to take to have a long career in the NBA.
Suns big Oso Ighodaro answering @iam_DanaScott question about working on his shooting form: "For sure. Shooting is a long-term project for me and I spent a lot of time this summer on it to improve it and I think that is going to be something in my long-term career that is going… pic.twitter.com/OefPaWLoeV
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) September 25, 2025
If Ighodaro has been taking his shooting seriously all offseason - and we know he was working out alongside Ryan Dunn in Phoenix for large parts of the summer - then he may be about to make the biggest leap of any player on the roster this season. A look at his shot chart over at Cleaning The Glass throws up no surprises, zero attempts from beyond the arc with most attempts in the paint.
The 23-year-old did rank in the 97th percentile in shots around the rim - a great number for a then rookie - but it also highlights just how little shooting he was doing away from the basket. If that changes and he can develop a consistent elbow jumper or shot from the top of the key, it is going to unlock so much more of the floor offensively for him.
This isn't even about becoming a 3-point threat for Ighodaro - his future in Phoenix is going to include some minutes played as a traditional center - but the need to diversify his offensive game is obvious. He was able to bully smaller players at Summer League, but we know that won't happen every night in the NBA.
To speak so candidly about his offensive shortcomings - going so far as to admit it is not his greatest strength right now - can only be a positive for both player and team. Luckily for Ighodaro given the change in timeline in The Valley, he is going to be given more time and minutes to also prove he can develop into a constant offensive threat outside of the paint.