Whether you want to admit it or not, the Phoenix Suns are going to have a deeper roster heading into the 2024-25 season. Even without trying to solve the quandary that is the Bradley Beal problem, this franchise are going to have Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and Mason Plumlee coming off the bench.
Tyus Jones is likely to head that unit - and when he's required to bring some order as the point guard for the starters - may even swap roles with Beal. Say what you want about the 31-year-old Beal - if he'll ever be an All-Star again for example - but having him run with your second unit is a nice spot to be in.
With minutes so hard to come by, where will second year player Bol Bol fit into the puzzle?
The 24-year-old remains one of the most unique players in the entire NBA - and while those "Victor Wembanyama lite" comparisons have proven wide of the mark - last season was undoubtedly his most productive in the league. Rather than hit the statistical highs seen previously when given extended run with the Orlando Magic, Bol instead carved out an actual role for himself.
No mean feat given he was playing for a defensive head coach in Frank Vogel, with defending the one area he is especially bad at. That's not going to change - Bol is who he is at this point - but hanging out on the perimeter annoying third and fourth options with his scoring seems to be as good as it is going to get for him.
But whereas last season the Suns - despite winning 49 games - needed Bol to come in from time-to-time to inject some unpredictability into proceedings, this year he's going to struggle to even crack the second unit. The team also figures to be much better in three key areas, and Bol doesn't really help with any of them unless he becomes purely an elite 3-point shooter.
Complicating matters further is the fact the Suns have a pair of rookies - one of which is going to blow by him and into the bench unit - who will also need to be brought along. Both these newbies, Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, are already better defenders than Bol.
Bol Bol. pic.twitter.com/drw1oCzbvP
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 7, 2024
Coming to Bol's aid in his battle for minutes is new head coach Mike Budenholzer. Not quite an offensive maverick but somebody who is going to come up with some quirky sets to get the best out of this group. If one in 10 of those involve Bol's unique talents, then that is going to go down as a win for him.
Bol isn't alone in this position - Josh Okogie is another who would benefit from being traded at this point - but he's still probably more valuable in Phoenix than anywhere else. Fans, coaching staff and teammates love him, and he has shown more comfort playing in The Valley than at any point in his career. It will be fascinating to see how coach Budenholzer plans on fitting him into his rotations.