The Phoenix Suns officially lost out on the Chris Paul sweepstakes on Monday, as ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the veteran point guard agreed to a deal with the Clippers. His decision came down to Los Angeles or Phoenix, but the former won out.
Paul reportedly wanted a starting job, but he'll play behind James Harden with the Clippers. That makes his decision to return to LA a little puzzling, considering the Suns likely would've let him be the starting point guard, but Paul wanted to be closer to his family.
The good news is that there are still a couple of options available for the Suns, with Malcolm Brogdon being the best available option left in free agency. The 2022-23 NBA Sixth Man of the Year is a player that Phoenix has been linked to. He's an unrestricted free agent after spending last season with the Wizards.
The Suns need to sign a player to meet the minimum roster requirement of 14. Having Brogdon come off the bench as the backup point guard is the kind of move that Phoenix needs to make before he's taken off the market. It might not be a perfect fit, but the Suns can't afford to be picky at this point.
Suns can turn to Malcolm Brogdon after missing out on Chris Paul
The biggest concern about signing Brogdon is his injury history. He played only 24 games for Washington in the 2024-25 season due to various injuries, and had played 39 games the previous season in Portland.
It'd be another case of bad luck for Phoenix if the team did sign him, only for him to miss more than half of the season. That thought shouldn't be enough to keep the Suns away, though. Brogdon wouldn't cost much and he'd help address a need. What more could you ask for?
Brogdon and Russell Westbrook are the two top guard names left on the free-agent market. Jake Fischer reported that Brogdon has drawn interest from several teams, including the Warriors. Unfortunately, it would make sense for him to go to Golden State, where he'd have a chance to win a title as Steph Curry's backup.
If Brogdon is down to go to Phoenix, the Suns need to make it happen. With Paul, Bradley Beal, and Damian Lillard with new teams, the Brogdon (and Westbrook) announcement should be coming soon. Hopefully, it will play in Phoenix's favor, although that might be too much to ask for.