The Phoenix Suns will enter the 2026-27 season with Mark Williams as their starting center and Khaman Maluach as his backup, but the improved play of Oso Ighodaro could make Williams expendable and clean up some cap issues in the process.
Emergence of Oso Ighodaro could see Suns move on from Williams
Williams was given a three-year, $38 million extension to stick around, with the Suns now well past the first apron as a result of this and other moves. Thanks again for your help with that, Bradley Beal.
Despite struggling to begin last season (that opening-night performance left him with a mountain to climb to become a regular contributor), Ighodaro silently battled his way back into the rotation. Whether as an explosive four off the bench or a starting (slightly) undersized five with a ton of heart, he found a way to succeed in both roles.
It is no coincidence that around the turn of the calendar year, and with Ighodaro featuring more, the Suns were much better defensively. Their 112.9 points conceded each night (good for ninth in the NBA) shrank by a full three points to 109.7 when Ighodaro was out there.
Even better, and despite not having a consistent go-to scoring move yet either, the team ranked slightly better in scoring (114.2 for the season compared to 114.8 with Ighodaro) as well. This can be explained by the offensive rebounds and willingness to screen and roll that Ighodaro exhibited, leaving first-round draft pick from the same class Ryan Dunn in the dust.
Khaman Maluach's growth will determine how much we see of Ighodaro
As frustrating as it may be, sophomore Maluach will influence just how much we see of Ighodaro and whether that leads to Williams being traded.
If he pops like he did at Summer League and looks ready for 20 minutes a night of actually contributing, Ighodaro will be the perfect backup. Their skill sets don't entirely overlap, with Maluach being a much better (and healthier) like-for-like replacement for Williams.
The hope would then be that the front office can offload Williams and his salary, take less back in return (they would possibly have to attach a second-round pick depending on the health of the player), and move on with Maluach and Ighodaro as their center rotation long-term.
It's an exciting proposition to have a player like Ighodaro alongside Miles Bridges and Dillon Brooks in the frontcourt.
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