Suns' two-way point guard will have moment to help team next season

The Phoenix Suns went out and addressed their biggest need this offseason, finally securing a point guard in the form of Monte Morris. The 29-year-old might have bounced around the league some - but in securing his services on a minimum contract - the Suns got themselves a steal.

Morris can come in and slow the game down and run some plays when required, while he'll also not see the court at all when Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are cooking. Having no established floor general last season hurt this team, to the point Isaiah Thomas was on this roster by year's end.

To remedy this situation the organization also went out and got another point guard on a two-way contract, and he is sure to get a chance to impress.

That player would be Collin Gillespie, who last played for the Denver Nuggets and will spend time down with the Valley Suns in 2024-25. Taking a flyer on the 25-year-old former Villanova standout is a no-brainer, because he is a low-risk addition to the fringes of their extended roster.

Better to have a younger individual with the pedigree of having played for Villanova than another go round with somebody like Thomas, nice and all as it was to see him back last season. You would think that Gillespie is going to really struggle to break through here, and it certainly does look that way.

But the Suns ranked 25th in turnovers per game last season (14.9), and their inability to take care of the ball was as infuriating as it was staggering. There's no doubt that Gillespie is buried way down that depth chart behind not only Booker, Beal and Morris, but also returning players who need minutes and can play in the backcourt like Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and even Josh Okogie.

But Gillespie has an ability to take care of the basketball that is lacking throughout the roster, and the injury history of Beal has to be taken into consideration as well. Should he miss any time - and he only suited up for 53 games in his first regular season in Phoenix - Gillespie automatically moves that bit closer to some actual minutes.

Morris might start next to Booker to create some balance across the starting five, meaning Gillespie would in theory be his backup. Obviously if new head coach Mike Budenholzer can get this group taking care of the ball and setting up some free-flowing offensive plays, the need for both Gillespie and Morris decreases.

But having both to hand if things go south again - and last season had plenty of puzzling lows and generally weird vibes - is exactly what they're on the roster for. Gillespie also shot a shade under 40 percent last season with the Nuggets, and although that was on less than two attempts per game and the Nuggets' system is a unique one around Nikola Jokic, it is not nothing.

This isn't about plays getting drawn up for Gillespie - he'll be the one calling those out when the time comes - but rather having a decent shooter who can hoist it up when possessions break down. Which the Suns will be hoping happens a lot less, because Collin Gillespie has been brought in to bring order to the Suns and their G League affiliate, and he will get his chance because of that.