5 players the Suns should sign on minimum deals this summer
By Luke Duffy
3. Patty Mills
We're not going to try and sugarcoat this one, Patty Mills is essentially washed. The soon to be 36-year-old appearing in only 32 games last season with both the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat. If a veteran can't make it work down in Miami, then that is usually not a good sign.
Whereas the Suns absolutely need to get younger and add players who can defend wing scorers - all things Mills cannot do - they're also in trouble at the point guard position. As of this moment players like Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry - both on minimum deals - would be the best case scenario in terms of adding a proven floor general this summer.
Mills would represent the discount version of this, coming in for 10-15 minutes per game and settling the team down when it is needed. Great as both Booker and Beal are, a combination of injury to Beal early in the campaign and the fact neither is a true point guard hurt the Suns when the playoffs started and the game slowed down.
So going out and getting a consummate professional who would have no problem deferring to others and not even playing some nights would seem like a smart way to spend the minimum. Mills would obviously be picked on defensively and it is far from a perfect match, but needs must and he has a ton of experience organizing teams in this league.