The Phoenix Suns have known all summer that they were going to come into this season with a loaded center rotation. Now, with Khaman Maluach's solid performance so far in preseason, it's looking like their best option with Mark Williams may end up being to trade him.
Perhaps it's a bit too early to make this kind of determination, and I recognize that may be the case. But just from what we've seen so far, Maluach certainly has a plethora of natural talent that's already beginning to shine at the professional level. Prioritizing his growth going forward is looking like it could be a very smart move for this Suns team. That doesn't necessarily look like moving Williams immediately, but it could put him further down the priority list.
There's a few reasons that I say this, but the first of which is Khaman's well-demonstrated feel for the game he's shown us so far in this preseason. Against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, Maluach had an impressive 17 points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes of action. He made eight of his 10 shot attempts, while also racking up three steals and two blocks. The flashes are already coming for him, and that's exciting for Suns fans.
The Suns may want to look into trading Mark Williams
If Phoenix does decide that they're truly going to commit to Maluach as the future of the center position, moving Mark would become logical. Williams has had his share of injury troubles over the last couple of seasons, but it's clear that there's still the potential for him as a starter in this league if he can be healthy consistently.
Should the Suns opt to deal away Mark at some point during this year, that would still leave them with three center options in Maluach, Nick Richards, and Oso Ighodaro. Especially if Williams plays well during the season, Phoenix could get back a solid return and end up with additional assets along with still retaining three guys equipped to play the center position.
I also think what this comes down to is Williams' ceiling as a starter versus Nick Richards' seemingly established role as a backup. I'm not sure there are many around the league who would say they still view Richards as a potential long-term starter, while Mark's physical tools still give him a bit more upside.
Contrary to popular belief, there is still a path to returning to contention for the Phoenix Suns. Capitalizing off the overabundance of centers in this way can be one part to that equation.