8 free agents the Phoenix Suns should avoid at all costs

1. Alec Burks

If the Suns take one lesson away from the 2023-24 season, it is that they should never not have a backup point guard again. They were right to think that both Booker and Beal could handle the responsibility. But with Beal missing so much time through injury, some of their inconsistencies can be traced back to not having a reliable backup to call upon.

Alec Burks of the New York Knicks looks like exactly the kind of player then who they should target this summer. He's a much more interesting option than going back for Payne, and the Knicks only traded for him at the deadline to bring him back for another run, having turned out for the organization in the past.

Only Burks has barely featured, managing 13.5 minutes of game time. This could be partially explained by the fact Jalen Brunson will finish in the top 10 in MVP voting, and head coach Tom Thibodeau will quite literally stick with the guys he trusts until their legs fall off. But even despite that, Burks looks like a player who is exiting his prime.

Of all of the players mentioned here, Burks probably has the strongest case to be taken off this list. He would make a better attempt at filling a real position of need for the Suns. He'd also have no problem constantly deferring to his star teammates. But it just isn't the kind of move that inspires a ton of confidence about the future, if Burks heads to The Valley this summer.