Suns have a painful decision to make between two key role players

The Phoenix Suns may have made some huge roster changes this offseason, but there will still be some familiar faces returning to The Valley next season. Second year players Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro expected to make a leap that it is hoped will allow the team to blow past the win projections that are being given to them right now, which sits somewhere between 29-31 victories.

Then there is center Nick Richards - brought over at the deadline from the Charlotte Hornets - who is now likely surplus to requirements. There is logic to keeping him around, but with Mark Williams and rookie Khaman Maluach now in town, if the organization can get anything for Richards in a trade then they certainly should.

Suns will have to choose between Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale.

If there is one other area where the Suns are going to have to make a decision on their roster, it is undoubtedly between Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale. While it made sense to have both sharpshooters around when the roster also had Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal to pair alongside Devin Booker, there is now no need for both of them.

While you would think Allen might have the inside track here because he's both younger and once led the league in 3-point shooting percentage, we've already made the case that O'Neale might just represent the best chance for the Suns to win an award next season. Being three years older than Allen at 32, there is likely less of a trade market for his services, but that doesn't mean there's none.

But with the Suns entering a re-tooling phase which let's face it is something else entirely, it makes no sense to keep both guys around. Especially now that the franchise is below both aprons, making trading one of them easier to accomplish. Already it has been rumored that the Suns tried to package Allen, Richards and four second round picks to try and land Jonathan Kuminga.

That was rightly shot down by the Golden State Warriors, but it at least means the front office knows it has to move on from one of Allen or O'Neale. They instead need all of the younger players with upside that rivals are willing to let go of that they can take on, which is why there was such interest in Kuminga in the first place.

The Suns do need to be careful and keep some veterans on this roster, which is again another reason for keeping hold of O'Neale. He appears a very popular teammate and it is worth noting that he was able to fit well next to Durant and Booker last season. His desires may be to go elsewhere to try and win a championship, which you can understand.

But with the Suns now having Maluach, Dunn, Ighodaro, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Collin Gillespie, Koby Brea and Rasheer Fleming all on this roster and needing minutes to grow, time is up for one of the two veteran swingmen in Phoenix. Which one stays depends on what the franchise can get back for both in a trade.