The Phoenix Suns made a big swing for Royce O'Neale by trading for the versatile swingman two seasons ago. The pain of that trade is still being felt as the Suns watch their draft pick used by a rival team.
It was the height of owner Matt Ishbia's huge push upon purchasing the team, mortgaging everything about the future to maximize the present. He traded for Kevin Durant, a defensible move, but subsequent trades for Bradley Beal and Royce O'Neale were more difficult to defend. Ishbia flew too close to the sun (sorry) and Phoenix found itself without any draft capital left and a roster not good enough to win a playoff series.
The Suns went over the second tax apron, and that meant restrictions on what trades the team could make. They tried to crack the code by trading for Royce O'Neale, a 3-and-D wing on an expiring deal. Then they re-signed him to a new deal to give them matching salary for a future trade.
Suns didn't get what they wanted from Royce O'Neale
That trade never materialized; the Suns tripped and fell on their face, and their lack of assets held them back from turning O'Neale into an impact player. He has not been a disaster, shooting 40 percent from 3-point range, but his defense has dropped off and he brings little else to the table.
That would be fine if the Suns didn't give up swap rights to their 2026 first-round pick in addition to three second-round picks. Now they had to watch the Memphis Grizzlies draft in the slot that was supposed to be theirs.
The Grizzlies drafted Bennett Stirtz with the 16th pick on Tuesday night, then flipped him to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It didn't matter to the Suns; it hurts either way to be left out in the cold because of their past sins.
Stirtz has incredible feel as a playmaker and passer, and his shot is as pure as it gets. He ran the show for three consecutive schools, following head coach Ben McCollum up the ranks to land on a Big 10 team and win multiple games in the NCAA Tournament. The fact that he would have been a tremendous pairing with Devin Booker in the Phoenix backcourt twists the knife.
O'Neale isn't going anywhere
O'Neale has two more seasons left on his contract, so he isn't going anywhere. The Suns wish they could have found a way to make more of the trade for O'Neale, but as it is they merely got an aging, slowing defender.
And one that is clogging up the roster. They are loaded with middling salaries in players such as O'Neale and Grayson Allen who are not a part of their long-term future, but they don't have the scratch to trade them and upgrade. They tried at the trade deadline and got nowhere; this summer may not yield better results.
Phoenix is stuck in the middle, not good enough to push one of the top teams in the West but without the young talent that gets a fan base excited to watch grow. And so they will remain, without a first-round pick on Tuesday night.
The three-team trade that brought O'Neale to the desert is one step closer to being finalized, and the Suns pay yet another tax for their decision. At some point, it would be nice for this nightmare to end. As long as they are paying Bradley Beal to play for another team and paying out draft picks mortgaged off for a team that went nowhere, however, the pain goes on.
Congratulations to Mr. Bennett Stirtz.
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