The Phoenix Suns may let Mark Williams leave the franchise this offseason, either through unrestricted free agency or through a sign-and-trade.
That would leave Khaman Maluach as the starting big man in The Valley, and the question would then become who his long-term backup would be. The franchise already has an answer to that question, and it is Oso Ighodaro.
Ighodaro proved he can be perfect backup in second year
The former second round pick started the campaign badly, but by year's end was being used as a starter or off the bench, and spending time both as a backup center and power forward in bigger lineups. As Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon said recently on their "Game Theory Podcast", Ighodaro has the skills and upside to be the long-term backup for the Suns.
The 22-year-old is certainly trending in that direction, and his success also highlights just how good the front office has been at identifying talent through the draft in recent years.
This may be expecting a lot of Maluach, still only a teenager until September of this year, but that is the beauty in having Ighodaro fill this role. He is capable of starting next season, before coming off the bench once Maluach has found his feet in the league.
The South Sudanese international is going to end up much the better defender, and has the actual body type to bang each night. Contrast that with Ighodaro, who is willing but often gives up some size to opponents that he makes up for with freak athletic ability.
Neither are consistent offensive threats, but they don't need to be at this point either. Head coach Jordan Ott, who clearly knows what he is talking about, already trusts Ighodaro, and you can understand why.
Having Ighodaro grow into this position also allows the Suns to move away from what looks like an expensive mistake with Williams, while the fact he is on a rookie deal for a couple of years yet means he is a cheap option who is outperforming his contract already. A massive plus when trying to build a winning roster around Devin Booker.
The beginning of his career was bumpy, but Ighodaro has found his groove with the Suns now. He is in a much better position to contribute regularly than Ryan Dunn, and is an early candidate for Most Improved Player on this roster next season. Watch this space.
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