With the NBA season about to flip to 2024, the Phoenix Suns find themselves much further down the pecking order in the Western Conference than they thought they would be at this stage of the season. A 15-15 record and the 10th spot a fair reflection on their season to this point.
Although there are those out there who think that the organization have time to turn this around, the task of going from barely a play-in team to winning an NBA Championship - which is still the primary goal here - is unprecedented. Having 52 games to put this right might sound like a lot, but we'll be hitting Spring before we know it.
The 30 games played so far has given the Suns plenty of time to decide who on their roster is worth keeping for the stretch run, and these three have got to go.
It was never going to work out for every player they signed this offseason when overhauling their roster - but as Gilbert Arenas put it so simply recently - there is just no depth here beyond their three star players and a couple of half decent role guys.
Quite how the Suns will ditch some of the players on their roster in favor of better contributors is unclear, because they don't have the cap space, draft picks or players that other teams would be interested in trading for. But even if the return is slim to none on these three guys, they all need to be gone from this roster in the New Year.
3. Bol Bol
Beginning with the obvious here, and Bol Bol's days with the Suns are surely numbered. He has appeared in only eight games this season, averaging less than three minutes on the court on each of those occasions. Bol's numbers don't even need to be mentioned, because they basically don't exist.
It will be a sad end to a tenure that never got going in The Valley - but if the Suns didn't turn to his enigmatic talents when they were struggling early in the season - then there is no way he is going to get some run in the New Year. Each game will be too important, and it is clear head coach Frank Vogel doesn't trust Bol out on the court.
Got pickup game here with Keita Bates-Diop, Bol Bol, Theo Maledon Yuta Watanabe and Saben Lee. #Suns pic.twitter.com/M1DTIJEKry
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 24, 2023
Defensively he continues to bring nothing, while offensively he could have been a conundrum for opponents to solve if he had been used more. But he wasn't, even though coach Vogel did mention to the media a number of weeks back that Bol would get his chance. That hasn't happened, and it surely won't once Bradley Beal is healthy and the rotation tightens.
The San Antonio Spurs were rumored to have some interest in Bol, but even if nothing comes of that, he should be cut so that his valuable roster spot can be given to somebody who can actually contribute. Point guard Ricky Rubio the latest potential candidate - but if not him - then somebody with experience who can help the Suns down the stretch of the regular season.