Suns sign forward using little-known kind of contract

As you are most likely all too aware by now, the Phoenix Suns don't have the means to sign players other than using veteran minimum deals. This is because their star trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal will make over $160 million in 2024-25 alone.

This hasn't stopped their front office from performing minor miracles, somehow convincing Tyus Jones, Monte Morris and Mason Plumlee to take the minimum to play in The Valley. That Jones signing especially going down as one of the moves of the offseason.

The organization have to be creative to continue to add players, and they've done just that using an exhibit 10 contract.

Before revealing who the player is, what exactly is an exhibit 10 deal? Put simply, it allows a franchise to sign a player to a one-year, minimum deal - as the Suns have been doing - but they can also convert that same contract to a two-way deal. The catch is that this has to be done before the start of the season.

In essence then this is a free hit, because the contract is not guaranteed and any money they may incur if they are waived but subsequently stick with the organization's G League outfit does not count against their cap. The only reason the Suns can do this deal at all is as a result of finally getting a G League team of their own - the Valley Suns - for the 2024-25 season.

Which is why it makes sense to take a flyer on Mamadi Diakite, who played a paltry six games last season for the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks (three games each). The smart bet here would be on the Suns turning Diakite's deal into a two-way contract, so as to store him in the G League and see if there is anything there.

Working against him is the fact he's already 27-years-old - and although that doesn't mean he is the finished article - the list of players who change in any major way once they've hit this point is not very long. A unique quirk at play here is the fact that - despite playing only 66 games total since 2020 - Diakite actually won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks back in 2021.

So he is familiar to new head coach Mike Budenholzer - which may have worked in his favor here - while also having the distinction of having one-sixth of all of his games in the league so far actually be playoff appearances. There's quite possibly nobody else in the entire NBA who could boast quite a unique a statistic as that.

The fact he's never spent more than one season in any one place is a concern, but he was just sitting there and does happen to play a position of need for the Suns. Nice as both Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro could be this coming season, both are rookies. The depth at the four/five spots lighter on this roster compared to other areas.

The most likely scenario here though is that Diakite is waived quite quickly, although it would also not be a surprise to see him stick with the G League affiliate for the campaign. Working hard away from the Suns while being called upon from time-to-time to fill in at the end of the bench for the main team. A role he is used to, and will be grateful for as this is likely his last stop in the league if it doesn't work.