Suns quietly buried a quality role player with their offseason swings

The Phoenix Suns made a host of roster changes this offseason, and all of them were designed with the future very much in mind. It was out with the old in Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, and in with a newer and younger core featuring Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Khaman Maluach.

With Koby Brea impressing in Summer League and Rasheer Fleming another rookie that the front office has high hopes for, the re-tooling around Devin Booker looks like it is off to a solid start. The reality may be different once the games begin, but the franchise are at least now trying to build a cohesive roster the right way.

Oso Ighodaro is in danger of being left behind by Suns.

Second year Oso Ighodaro did as much as he could during the team's Summer League play, and he looked comfortable in a leadership role for the young group as well. The forward/center clearly packed on some muscle, and looked extremely comfortable playing against a combination of rookies, returning players like himself and individuals fighting for their lives for a chance in the NBA.

Yet despite this positive step by Ighodaro, the moves of the front office are not currently working in his favor. It is Ryan Dunn - the Suns' first round pick from last season - that the franchise clearly has more of a role for, and his two-way wing play as a plus defender is going to be huge next to Booker and also this new addition next season.

Then there is Mark Williams - acquired from the Charlotte Hornets at the NBA Draft - who it is hoped can stay healthy enough to be the starter for this group. Between himself and rookie Maluach - who is going to take some time to learn the ropes in Phoenix - the Suns look set at the center position, and that's without considering Nick Richards.

He is likely going to be moved this offseason - but until that actually happens - he will also get minutes on this roster as the third choice big man. Which makes it even harder for Ighodaro to see the court - and although you can make the case he'll spend some time at the four - an undersized and explosive brick wall around the paint looks like the best use for his talents.

It would be a shame to see Ighodaro sent to the G League next season, but as things stand that is going to happen. He needs more reps - and although this version of the Suns is no longer contending and so can actually give him just that - the roster is a crowded as ever at his position with both young talent and players like Williams who have something to prove.

Ighodaro still has a lot of work to put in offensively to become anything close to an individual for opponents to fear, and he's far from the finished article on the other end of the court. It's a strange place to be after such an ideal Summer League outing, but perhaps that is a good problem for the Suns to have. Ighodaro has improved, yet his path to a bigger role is not certain in The Valley.