During the festivities of NBA All-Star Weekend — wherein Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia turned some heads with a towering pull-up jumper over 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall in the Celebrity Game and All-Star Devin Booker narrowly missed out on his second 3-point contest victory — Phoenix added a new signing to the roster.
Haywood Highsmith, a 6-foot-5 wing who played the previous four NBA seasons with the Miami Heat, signed a multiyear deal with the Suns on Valentine’s Day. Highsmith was traded to the Brooklyn Nets last offseason, but hadn’t suited up in a game for Brooklyn this year due to a meniscus injury and surgery that he’d been recovering from.
According to multiple reports, Highsmith is healthy and was ready to play for the Nets before being waived, making him free to sign with any team.
That team turned out to be the Suns, who also apparently managed to keep the defensive dynamo away from a key Pacific Division rival.
According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike (subscription required), Highsmith was a “player of interest” on the Los Angeles Lakers’ radar after they missed out in the league-wide pursuit of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of the trade deadline. Giannis ultimately stayed put with the Milwaukee Bucks.
So, what are the Suns getting with the latest addition to the roster?
Haywood Highsmith has long been a Suns target
Highsmith “has been on Phoenix’s radar for two years,” according to reporting by The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin. Rankin added that the 29-year-old Baltimore native “is seen as a fit in terms of competitiveness and toughness.”
The signing also all but confirms that Cole Anthony, the point guard acquired at the deadline from the Bucks who is expected to be waived, will not be suiting up for the Suns.
That the Suns have reportedly had their eyes on Highsmith for multiple years shows they’ve done their homework. Fans shouldn’t treat this as a knee-jerk signing just to get someone in the buyout market.
While Highsmith’s size at 6-foot-5 isn’t anything to write home about for a forward, his 7-foot wingspan provides him the length necessary to bother taller opponents regardless of height.
First and foremost, Highsmith makes his mark on the defensive end of the court. The signing suggests the Suns are looking for similar high-motor players who can impact the game on defense — where Phoenix has shown massive improvement this season.
After ranking 28th in defensive rating last season, the Suns at the All-Star break rank No. 11 in the league in that category. They've spent time in the top 10 in the league by defensive rating this season as well.
The Suns are also second in the league in team steals per game at 10.1 per contest. Only the Detroit Pistons have been better than Phoenix in that category at the time of writing.
Highsmith, who averaged at least 1.3 steals per 36 minutes for the past three seasons while with Miami, will only help in that area.
“They call him Locksmith for a reason,” Bam Adebayo, a three-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive Team member said of Highsmith in 2024, according to NBA.com. “When you have a guy you consider a Swiss Army Knife, that’s gold for us.”
Now that "gold" as described by Adebayo — a guy who knows a thing or two about defense — is a piece of the Suns roster.
Two-time championship-winning head coach Erik Spoelstra echoed what Adebayo had to say about Highsmith. "He’s a great defender, Swiss Army Knife guy, winning player, fills in a bunch of different gaps, knows how to play a role and has upside in what we do," Spoelstra said.
"I feel comfortable plugging-and-playing him at any time, against anyone," Coach Spo said.
In addition to the winning mentality and defensive acumen, Highsmith is a career 37.4% shooter from 3-point territory. That makes him a far superior threat in terms of spreading the floor when compared to Jeremy Sochan.
The former lottery pick, who was reportedly also on the Suns' radar, signed with the New York Knicks after his own release from the San Antonio Spurs. Sochan by comparison is a career 28.7% shooter from deep.
Even as the modern NBA continues to evolve, "3-and-D" wing players retain a ton of value. Now, Jordan Ott can plug-and-play Highsmith just like Spoelstra did in Miami to expand his rotations and get certain guys more rest throughout the remainder of the season.
Highsmith will now look to endear himself to a new fan base and prove that his "Locksmith" nickname is a worthy one.