Veteran point guard starring in playoffs should be top summer priority for Suns

Of all the disappointments in a Phoenix Suns season that was full of them, one of the worst and least expected was the failure of the point guards to shine when it mattered most. The franchise went out and got too excellent floor generals in Tyus Jones and Monte Morris last summer, with both having among the best assist-to-turnover ratios in league history.

Taking care of the basketball is what both did well - yet when there are so many other fires to put out - this skill was both under-appreciated and not as important. It's great that Jones doesn't turn it over very often - but when you can't defend and have an offensive style that never clicked into place - does it even matter?

Suns need to make Dennis Schroder a high priority this summer.

Jones has likely played his last game in The Valley, and he did his own worth no favors around the league either. Taking a veteran minimum deal for a season to compete for a title and put himself in the shop window in the process, Jones instead ended up losing his starting spot by season's end and likely costing himself some money this offseason in the process.

It feels more like unfinished business for Morris, who for whatever reason was never given a proper run of games under Mike Budenholzer. When Bol Bol is getting benched for not doing this however, you begin to have more sympathy for Morris. He never really put a foot wrong when given the opportunity, it was just there were many bigger problems that needed to be addressed.

Which is where Dennis Schroder enters the equation. In theory as an unrestricted free agent this summer, the Suns should have no chance of signing him as things stand. They're stuck in the second apron, meaning they can only offer a minimum contract. If you would have said 12 months ago that Jones was going to end up signing in Phoenix though, you would have been called crazy.

Let's play this out then. The 31-year-old has quickly become an important part of what the rising Detroit Pistons are trying to achieve, but let's not forget this is Schroder's third team this season alone. It did not work out with the Golden State Warriors, while the Brooklyn Nets also cut him loose prior to that as they attempted to tank their way to a high lottery pick.

He did have 20 points off the bench in his side's Game 2 victory over the New York Knicks in the playoffs, and he has all of the composure and willingness to step into a big moment that the Suns desperately lack. Kind of like Cameron Payne's attitude, but with a more sturdy style of play that has also translated really well to national play with Germany.

The Pistons could well bring him back - but if they end up getting knocked out of the playoffs by the Knicks as most expect - they could look at Schroder's spot as an area to improve. They are most certainly not stuck in the second apron, and they have done the hard park in unearthing a superstar in Cade Cunningham.

If they let Schroder walk - and it is not like they invested a ton in him anyway - why would he choose to head to The Valley? There is a chance that both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal leave this summer, and should this happen the Suns' cap sheet will look a lot healthier. They may not even be done with the deals then either, and players like Grayson Allen could also be on the way out the door.

Schroder then would be the ideal veteran playmaker to have next to Booker. Somebody who can set the table and isn't the disaster defensively that led to Jones being brought off the bench. Morris could still back him up, and it would give Booker a teammate who wants to win and has experience to ride with for 2025-26. A sneaky move the franchise seriously has to consider.