3. Cameron Payne
Having fun yet? We recently examined a whole heap of free agents the Suns should avoid this offseason, and point guard Cameron Payne made the list. He will always deserve kudos for bringing it in some playoff games for the Suns when many of his teammates did not, but if he's running the show, you'll only ever get so far.
Why then has Payne shown up here? Well there just aren't many backup floor generals who will be available on the minimum this summer, whereas Payne almost certainly will be. Already this season he has played for two contenders in the East in the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, and neither seems particularly excited about keeping him.
A player like Tyus Jones would be a massive upgrade over Payne, and he too will be available this summer. Only he's going to command the kind of money that the Suns simply can't offer, which is where Payne again enters the conversation. As names continue to come off the board, he is going to be sitting there waiting to be signed for little money.
If you're trying to make a case for the Suns to re-sign Payne here - and really it is very hard to - then he is somebody who knows the organization and would have no problem in the role given to him. He's also surely an upgrade over Thomas, who has barely played anyway. If Paul were to become available then Payne would fade into the distance, and yet this looks like a pairing that could happen...