The Phoenix Suns have already addressed their biggest offseason need, and that was bringing in point guard Monte Morris to run the show next season. The front office yet again snagging a player for the minimum who could well have made more money elsewhere.
With Kevin Durant and Devin Booker off playing for Team USA this summer, the organization has a chance to catch its breath before resuming a chase for a championship next season. The franchise also did well in the NBA Draft, taking two players in Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro. Both individuals looking to contribute right away.
Due to an unexpected development down in Florida with the Orlando Magic though, there are now suddenly two players the Suns should be doing all they can to sign.
Getting one of them on the minimum seems possible - although a clean sweep of both would be exceptionally difficult - but that doesn't mean the Suns shouldn't try. Let's try and evaluate the chances of the Suns somehow pulling this off, and what the fit would be like in The Valley.
2. Chuma Okeke
Beginning with the more likely of the two, and the Suns would be foolish not to get onto the phone with Chuma Okeke right away. The 25-year-old isn't a bad player, it is more a combination of untimely injuries and the Magic moving on without him squeezed him out of Florida.
Okeke would bring some defensive abilities to the back end of the roster, and in theory would find a path to minutes quicker than Bol Bol for example. Bol was a great success story last season - and bringing him back again was a no-brainer - but on some nights and in certain matchups he is unplayable because of his terrible defending.
Blessing your timeline with Chuma Okeke rookie highlights. pic.twitter.com/9GoECsQyXC
— ORLmuse (@ORLmuse) March 5, 2024
Lost in the fact Okeke was buried in Orlando once the likes of Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero came to town is the fact he started 10-of-70 games in his sophomore campaign, and managed to average 8.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in the process.
Given that the Suns tried to make Thaddeus Young work last season - as well as Isaiah Thomas - bringing in a younger player on the minimum makes a ton of sense. It is the rare chance to add a player they normally couldn't and for a price that is within their range, plus he has the capability of actually filling a need as well. The fit and timing is all right for this one.
1. Markelle Fultz
The dream player for the Suns to cash in on just became available, and they should be pushing hard to get Markelle Fultz down to Phoenix. As a point guard he obviously fills that need, and if he signed would immediately become their number one option at that position. Morris is better off the bench anyway, so re-making their point guard rotation so quickly would be a massive plus.
Actually getting Fultz on the minimum is the tricky part, and as a player with a known history of injuries, it would be in his best interest to get a longer-term deal than the Suns can offer. If you look around the league though, it is unclear who would offer Fultz the midlevel for example, both because of the aforementioned injuries and the fact a lot of teams are set at the point.
Fultz did an amazing job of rebuilding his reputation with the Magic - he was the second best player in a playoff series for that team behind Nikola Vucevic once upon a time - and he is still somehow only 26. He doesn't shoot 3-pointers, but if you've been paying attention, his jumper isn't as broken as it used to be.
But the secret to the game of Fultz is the fact that this is a guy who, at his best with the Magic was giving them 9.9 assists per 36 minutes by his third season there. That level of playmaking is exactly what was missing last season, while defensively he is above average too. Selling him on playing for a contender and on national television often is the play here. Tough to get done, but would be amazing.