We are about to enter the dog days of the NBA's offseason - and if you thought the aggregating around all teams including the Phoenix Suns to this point was bad - you ain't seen nothing yet. The league is about to go quiet until before training camps open, which is when baseless speculation is at an all-time high.
Already we've made the case as to why the Suns should avoid a short-term improvement such as this one when the opportunity presents itself - and it will at some point next season - and boy did you fans not appreciate that at all. There could be a happy middle ground however, and it comes in the form of a former All-Star who could be on the lookout for a new home.
Suns adding Khris Middleton for next season makes a ton of sense.
The potential of 33-year-old Middleton was a non-starter for Phoenix, until the below tweet serviced that Arizona Sports John Gambadoro quickly debunked. Again it is worth remembering both that we've hit the point in the summer where anything goes, and that Gambadoro is an insider who has gotten moves the franchise have and haven't made right already this offseason.
No I do not expect the Suns to consider adding Khris Middleton https://t.co/q4eSF6ffTN
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) August 1, 2025
But even if it doesn't seem likely right now - no matter what that tweet says - there's two clear reasons the Suns should actually be all for it. The first is that Middleton is entering the final year of his current contract. Phoenix could trade away guys on longer-term deals - such as Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale - and then let Middle talk next summer.
This would create more cap space to operate with then, made even better by the fact the Suns are no longer in either the first or second apron. If they could ditch a couple of veterans who are on the books for two more seasons after this one - and the organization is trying to get younger during this re-tool anyway - Middleton for a season makes sense.
Which is why even if he is bought out by the Washington Wizards, he is still worth considering. In that instance he'd be available at a fraction of the price - and although the Suns would still have other players still on their books - Middleton would be an excellent veteran leader for the rookies alongside Devin Booker.
At this point he's not capable of playing a full season, but he'd be of use for inside the locker-room as much as anything else. This is different to trading for another past their prime star, because that will only put the Suns back in the previous awful position they've tried to escape. With Middleton it is different however, which is why if he is actually available, the Suns have to pick up the phone.