It has quickly become clear through a pair of preseason games for the Phoenix Suns that they have sneaky solid depth and a bench unit that is going to give opponents problems this season. Third-string center Duop Reath has not quite cracked that group just yet, but there is already no doubt the Suns did brilliantly in signing him to a training camp deal, especially as he is the kind of backup the Philadelphia 76ers now desperately need and likely could have picked up.
Ariel Hukporti going down adds value to Reath in Philadelphia
It is unclear yet whether Reath will make the final 15-man roster in Phoenix, although they could be clever and add him through a two-way contract instead. Hukporti unfortunately going down with a season ending achilles injury is a nightmare for the 76ers, and Reath would have been the ideal replacement.
Joel Embiid will play 55 games if he's lucky, while Reath is one of the few true big men in the league who has a respectable 3-point shot at his disposal. He is a tenacious rebounder, and although he would have been underqualified to act as the backup to Embiid, their current reserves in Adem Bona and Tacko Fall don't inspire much confidence.
The Suns can instead use Reath in the best possible way, which is backing up both Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach. Ighodaro is the current starter, although Maluach will catch him before long, leaving Reath in the perfect spot as the third big on the depth chart. Compared to some of the backups the franchise has been forced to use in the past (we're looking at you, Drew Eubanks), he is a massive upgrade and is capable of playing 15 minutes a night.
Front office continues to exceed expectations with smart additions
The Suns could never have known or cared that Hukporti would get injured, but picking up Reath when they did is the latest clever move they have made despite their limitations. Miles Bridges might have been an overpay, but you could see from the relief of his ankle injury not being serious how important he has already become to this group.
Previous examples of guys who have come in and contributed in ways nobody expected include Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, who are both now part of that fearsome bench unit.
Reath is the next name you can add to that list, and his value is going to trend upwards once he makes the final roster and ends up being one of the most over-qualified third-string bigs in the league.
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