3 Suns players who will have career-years in 2024-25 NBA season

Every season, few players stand out to the fans because of their performance on the court. A recent example of this is Grayson Allen. Last season, he arguably had the best statistical year. Even though the Phoenix Suns had their "Big 3", Allen rose to the ranks and became the team's unofficial third option.

The former Duke guard averaged 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his first season at The Valley. For a role player, his numbers were decent. But what's impressive is his shooting efficiency.

Allen was the most reliable shooter for the Suns as he made 46.1 percent of his 3-pointers. He led the league in shooter percentage from beyond the arc. Possibly, fans may not see a production like Allen's from the previous season.

However, there's a good number of players in the team who could have a great year with the Suns next season.

With the Suns set their eyes on winning the title, the players are expected to help the team's star trio in any way they can. In this list, there are three players who I believe can take their game to the next level in the upcoming season.

3. Tyus Jones

Over the summer, the Suns acquired Tyus Jones. While he may not be the best point guard the team has had over the years, he's experienced enough to play well with the stars. Jones is expected to be the official starting point guard of the team. This will be the second time the point guard will get to play the starting role after last season when he started 66 games for the Washington Wizards.

During the 2023-24 season, Jones averaged 12.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists. His numbers were decent, given that he played for a tanking team. But now he'll get to play with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in the starting lineup.

The All-Star triplets of the Suns will command all the defensive attention, giving Jones free reign to become a spot-up shooter. The veteran guard should score at least 15 points next season, I think. His shooting efficiency will also be a factor as he shot the three-ball over 40 percent in his previous campaign.

Jones' playmaking will also benefit playing with the team's Big 3. Having three prime scorers has always been an advantage for guards who like to share the ball. If the former Duke guard averaged more than seven assists with the Wizards last season, who knows how many passes he can execute with the Suns?

2. Royce O'Neale

Since his arrival at The Valley, Royce O'Neale has contributed well to the team. He's one of the smart players the Suns have as he doesn't try too much or too little on both ends. Although he's a bit undersized for the small forward position, O'Neale plays big and belongs in the big moments for Phoenix.

He was acquired by the Suns via a mid-season trade. It didn't take long for him to show what he could do on the court, which is almost everything. O'Neale played 30 games for the team, averaging 8.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists. The veteran forward shot over 37 percent from beyond the arc.

Given that he's a role player, it's expected for O'Neale not to put monster figures on the stat sheet. Basketball Reference predicts that the forward will average over 10 points next season, and I agree with that. With the star trio, he'll get more open looks.

And because of his All-Star teammates, there will be a good number of shot attempts from them. That means the 6-foot-4 forward will crash the boards and average almost seven rebounds.

O'Neale has shown that he's a great fit with the team and fans will see an entire season of that starting in October.

1. Devin Booker

Booker had an amazing summer in Paris. The All-Star guard played a significant role with Team USA, which helped them win the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics. Fans also got to see his value to any team that he played with during that span.

Last season, he averaged 27.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.9 assists. Booker also shot 49.2 percent of his field goals, which was one of the reasons the team made the postseason. Experts anticipate that the former guard from Kentucky will play in a manner akin to that of the previous campaign.  

However, with his experience in Paris, Booker could take his game to the next level. Additionally, the inevitable decline for Durant should be considered and next season will be the perfect time for the shooting guard to take over.

The 6-foot-5 guard could average close to 30 points next season. He spent last season as the team's unofficial point guard, which is why he focused on getting his teammates involved. Fortunately, the team acquired two reliable point guards to take over the playmaking duties to allow Booker to slide back to the shooting guard position.

His assists might go down next year, but that wouldn't be a problem since the new point guards will take care of sharing the rock. Booker's only task next season will be to score. Defensively, he'll also perform better, as seen in his defensive production with Team USA.