1. Bol Bol
Bol has been an intriguing player since he declared for the draft in 2019. The 7’3 big man is the son of an NBA player and has a unique skill set. He is not afraid to fire away from long range and has some ball-handling ability. Teams have dreamed of him becoming an unstoppable unicorn, but the reality failed to live up.
Bol is on his third team in five NBA seasons, and the Suns only offered him a one-year minimum contract last summer coming off the best year of his career. He has been unable to contribute to winning and has produced just a 0.7 value over replacement player (VORP) in his first five seasons in the NBA. For reference, Devin Booker had a 5.3 VORP after five years and Eric Gordon sat at 4.3.
Bol has struggled to get minutes behind Jusuf Nurkic and Drew Eubanks. He has played in just 33 games but is averaging 5.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in just 11.3 minutes per game. His defense is problematic and makes it difficult to give him extended run. The 7’3 big man has been on the floor for 20-plus minutes just three times, and the 24-year-old’s time in the league could be running out.
The Phoenix Suns will make significant changes around their Big 3 this summer if they fail to make a deep playoff run. They do not have assets to trade, but the front office will get creative in free agency. Several Suns are on the chopping block and must prove they belong in the league during the stretch run, so stay tuned.