The Phoenix Suns begin their 2026-27 season against the Portland Trail Blazers and a player they foolishly let get away: Toumani Camara. The Belgian was a throw-in as part of the Deandre Ayton for Jusuf Nurkic trade back in 2023, and the Suns have regretted adding him to that deal ever since.
Camara could keep Miles Bridges and Oso Ighodaro quiet
The biggest offseason addition the Suns made was trading for Miles Bridges, and the early indicators are that he will be a success alongside Dillon Brooks. He is capable of scoring at all three levels, has promised he will turn in the best defensive season of his career, and is capable of giving his team 20 points on any given night.
But Camara is exactly the kind of long and annoying forward who could give Bridges problems. He will likely start on Devin Booker but could also spend some time shadowing Dillon Brooks. This would immediately cause Head Coach Jordan Ott real concern. They want to win a playoff series this time around, and Camara could give future opponents the inside scoop on how to keep their best players quiet on night one.
Even more worrying is the prospect of Camara believing he can keep likely starting center Oso Ighodaro quiet inside the paint. Should that happen, it will make extending him, even if for three years, $29 million is excellent value, look like a gamble and put even more pressure on Khaman Maluach to assume the starting position soon.
Camara would have been perfect player for this version of Suns
The Suns got rid of Camara despite a solid Summer League showing in the past because they were scrambling to make the kind of moves around Kevin Durant to try to win a championship. Now 26 years old, Camara is the perfect win-now forward this version of the Suns would have loved in Phoenix.
He has some comparisons to Mikal Bridges, including the fact that he started and played in all 82 games last season. He raises the floor of the Trail Blazers and has ended up being everything that it was hoped Ryan Dunn could be. Having Camara on this roster also would have meant not trading for Miles Bridges, and that 2033 unprotected first they gave away to land him could come back to haunt them.
Just like Camara has continued to do for years now, this season is the point when the Suns are going to feel his absence the most. Not only will he serve as a painful reminder of what they gave up, but he is a nightmare defensive matchup who could expose the roster-building the franchise has created immediately.
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