If you weren't aware, the Phoenix Suns currently have one free roster spot and three guys battling it out in training camp to secure that position. Of those players, Frank Kaminsky has stolen an early march, and he got eight minutes of game time in the opening preseason game for the franchise, a win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
There's no guarantee he'll end up as the 15th man though - he did spend last season in Europe putting up only so-so stats - but having been with the organization when they made it all the way to the 2021 NBA Finals certainly helps. Everybody loves Frank, from his teammates and franchise cornerstone Devin Booker, to fans in The Valley.
But a more intriguing option has just become available.
That's because according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the L.A. Clippers and P.J. Tucker are working towards a scenario where he is no longer with the team. Tucker being asked to stay away from the group while they try and come to some sort of resolution on the matter.
The Clippers and forward PJ Tucker have mutually agreed for the 13-year NBA veteran to be away from the team as the sides work toward a resolution for his future. pic.twitter.com/IgFrYi5M1I
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 6, 2024
Aside from asking just what exactly is going on with the Clippers - they've lost Paul George and Kawhi Leonard has all but admitted his knee will never be the same again - is this a situation where the Suns could profit? Tucker is 39-years-old, and it would be fair to say his best days in this league are long behind him.
But he also provides veteran help and fills a potential position of need for the team. Rookie Oso Ighodaro had a fantastic showing against the Lakers, but it is still only preseason. Already he looks capable of taking some minutes from starting big man Jusuf Nurkic and his backup Mason Plumlee, but the best course of action with Ighodaro is still to bring him on slowly.
Tucker is also undersized for a center, but that is the appeal if you're the Suns. He plays the position differently than Nurkic, Plumlee and even Ighodaro, and would be a nice option for this team to have. Next to Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, the team would take on a different identity again offensively.
Defensively however they would be incredibly undersized, with point guard Tyus Jones rounding out what is already a small group. Tucker is a career 36.6 percent shooter from beyond the 3-point arc, and in another Kaminsky-like callback to 2021, was part of the Milwaukee Bucks roster that got the better of the Suns in the finals.
Which is another reason to seriously consider this, because head coach Mike Budenholzer is familiar with his game. How much better off would the Suns be having a 15th man who has been in the league consistently for over a decade, as opposed to Kaminsky or the other guys who have never really stuck with rosters?
Perhaps then Tucker is the final piece for this roster? Or more likely, he'll end up going the way of Thaddeus Young or Isaiah Thomas, players who the Suns brought in towards the end of last season but who had no impact on how their season ultimately ended. There's a reason the Clippers want out of the Tucker business after all, and the Suns would do well to remember that.