Suns Off Season Changes for 2025-26

[Mainstreet]

I didn't see this possibility coming, that Khris Middleton could be bought out.

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[Mainstreet]

I’ve got high hopes for Khaman. But I’m also extremely aware he could be the next yinka dare or Kandiman

This is what I had hoped to see from Khaman Maluach in summer league. The quickness of Joan Beringer.

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[95pro]

I’ve got high hopes for Khaman. But I’m also extremely aware he could be the next yinka dare or Kandiman

With these kinds of takes you can never be wrong.

I didn't see this possibility coming, that Khris Middleton could be bought out.

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Suns trying so hard to find that KD replacement, I hate this FO, just let it play out instead of committing to more vets and bad contracts.

 

[SirStefan32]

Suns trying so hard to find that KD replacement, I hate this FO, just let it play out instead of committing to more vets and bad contracts.

Bad contracts? If he is bought out, that will be a very nice value for the money. It's a good thing for a young team to have veterans around.

 

[Phrazbit]

With these kinds of takes you can never be wrong.



Suns trying so hard to find that KD replacement, I hate this FO, just let it play out instead of committing to more vets and bad contracts.

When it comes to free agents, we don’t have enough money to offer a bad contract.

 

[JCSunsfan]

When it comes to free agents, we don’t have enough money to offer a bad contract.

Oh, they could find a way.

 

[Mainstreet]

When it comes to free agents, we don’t have enough money to offer a bad contract.

The Suns could benefit from trading Allen and/or O'Neale, but do not have much in the way of sweeteners.

Richards would be attractive to other teams on his $5 million salary.

 

[95pro]

Bad contracts? If he is bought out, that will be a very nice value for the money. It's a good thing for a young team to have veterans around.

Some back tracking here, admittedly, but sorry i meant players like Beal, Oneal, Allen, trying so hard for Kuminga. Middleton off a waiver is okay though and not bad, but he's always injured. Sorry I post at work and sometimes dont finish my complete thoughts lol

 

[Cheesebeef]

Middleton is a shell of himself who will only get in the way of younger talent that needs to develop. For a team like this, he’s got the usefulness of a wet band-aid

 

[Phrazbit]

The Suns could benefit from trading Allen and/or O'Neale, but do not have much in the way of sweeteners.

Richards would be attractive to other teams on his $5 million salary.

I don't think any of those players have positive trade value, at least not at the moment, maybe during the season when teams are looking to fill gaps.

 

[Hoop Head]

I don't think any of those players have positive trade value, at least not at the moment, maybe during the season when teams are looking to fill gaps.

They aren't on bad deals but definitely not on good ones either. JJ's tenure as GM led to some creative deals, like Shamet's, but he seemed to be against including traditional player or team options. Having a team option on the final years of Royce or Grayson's deal would increase their value in trades. Those options are more valuable than the non-guaranteed years JJ seemed to utilize most often. The problem with non-guaranteed years is it requires waiving the player so if a player like CP3 is at the point he's not worth his salary, the relationship has to end because we couldn't decline the option and rework a new deal. I'm grateful JJ is gone and the Suns will be better when deals he took part in signing are also.

I think Grayson, Royce, and Richards' value will go up as the year goes on but right now they don't have the value to be viewed as a core by anyone but they could be viewed as a need after a team suffers an injury or something. They're basically insurance no one wants to pay for at this point. Someone will be in the market for what they offer eventually and if we don't ask for too much in return they should be moveable.

 

[Raindog]

Middleton is a shell of himself who will only get in the way of younger talent that needs to develop. For a team like this, he’s got the usefulness of a wet band-aid

Yeah, I don't really get how he would fit in. He would likely just be taking minutes from Dunn, and at best, overlaps about six other guys in the current rotation.

 

[Mainstreet]

I don't think any of those players have positive trade value, at least not at the moment, maybe during the season when teams are looking to fill gaps.

If a team needs a center, my guess is Richards is worth a couple of second round picks if he is traded at the right time.

In regard to Allen and O'Neale, we agree. Those multiyear contracts are like a weight around the Suns neck.

Maybe they can trade Allen and/or O'Neale to swap needs with another team. Or they might have some value at the trade deadline if a contender needs to replace an injured player. However, the Suns need sweeteners to more easily move those players.

IMO, this is why trading for Kuminga is mostly a lateral move that could improve the team without a lot of downside and why the Suns seem to be chasing it.

What a mess the Suns have created with bad signings, extensions and trades.

 

[Mainstreet]

When I was younger I used to be one of those fans that would say you better hold on to my favorite player no matter what. As I get older, I just want to see a title before I kick this mortal coil. So, as much as I love Book, I don't get attached to players above the franchise. That's why I would like to see them trade Book while he has peak value (assuming they don't pull off some miraculous move to get a #1 to play with him).

I'm not even thinking about a title. The Suns ownership and front office stomped on those dreams.

Still, I hope the Suns can find a player to help fill the hole at power forward and find the right recipe at guard.

Sometimes things just click when a team adds the right players. The sum can be more than its parts.

 

[Hoop Head]

IMO, this is why trading for Kuminga is mostly a lateral move that could improve the team without a lot of downside and why the Suns seem to be chasing it.

This is where the risk is. I believe Grayson, Royce, and Richards are all moveable in time. If we turn 2 of the 3 into Kuminga then we could be trapped like the Bulls are with Patrick Williams or we were with Beal, which was the exteeme example. Setting a price on Kuminga seems fair but if his price increases then we need to walk away. A bad Kuminga contract screws us much more than we are now.

 

[Covert Rain]

I'm not even thinking about a title. The Suns ownership and front office stomped on those dreams.

Still, I hope the Suns can find a player to help fill the hole at power forward and find the right recipe at guard.

Sometimes things just click when a team adds the right players. The sum can be more than its parts.

I am not saying I am thinking about a title next season or anything but I am definitely going to think about it until I kick this world. That's the end game.

 

[Mainstreet]

I am not saying I am thinking about a title next season or anything but I am definitely going to think about it until I kick this world. That's the end game.

I understand, except I have put a title is on the back burner with the realization it will probably not happen in my lifetime.

The Suns would need to get extremely fortunate and find a diamond in the rough to add with Booker.

Trading Booker puts the Suns two pieces away from that goal. It takes two stars to get there.

 

[95pro]

I understand, except I have put a title is on the back burner with the realization it will probably not happen in my lifetime.

The Suns would need to get extremely fortunate and find a diamond in the rough to add with Booker.

Trading Booker puts the Suns two pieces away from that goal. It takes two stars to get there.

Imo I think title hopes went out the window for sure when Book signed the extension. The only way to contend, in our situation since we are keeping Book, is if Book took less than the Max and left room for us to sign another star.

 

[Mainstreet]

Imo I think title hopes went out the window for sure when Book signed the extension. The only way to contend, in our situation since we are keeping Book, is if Book took less than the Max and left room for us to sign another star.

Stars are not coming here without Devin Booker so that is something to think about.

 

[Mainstreet]

It's a whole series of transactions that have buried the Suns. To name only a few:

1. Passing on Haliburton
2. Durant trade
3. Beal trade
4. Ayton trade (he would have been off the books by now)
5. Allen extension
6. O'Neale extension

 

[JCSunsfan]

It's a whole series of transactions that have buried the Suns. To name only a few:

1. Passing on Haliburton
2. Durant trade
3. Beal trade
4. Ayton trade (he would have been off the books by now)
5. Allen extension
6. O'Neale extension

Is this in a particular order? If so, I would swap #1 and #2. Maybe just move #1 to #3.

 

[Hoop Head]

Is this in a particular order? If so, I would swap #1 and #2. Maybe just move #1 to #3.

I agree. Halliburton is a special talent but I don't think he becomes a superstar as quick as he has in Phoenix. His development doesn't have the same trajectory.

 

[Suns_fan69]

It's a whole series of transactions that have buried the Suns. To name only a few:

1. Passing on Haliburton
2. Durant trade
3. Beal trade
4. Ayton trade (he would have been off the books by now)
5. Allen extension
6. O'Neale extension

Minor nitpicky note, unless we also waived him, Ayton still would technically be on the books for this season (or more, if they were to extend him)

 

[Phrazbit]

I agree. Halliburton is a special talent but I don't think he becomes a superstar as quick as he has in Phoenix. His development doesn't have the same trajectory.

If he'd been here I bet he gets tossed into the Durant trade.

 

[clyde2tw]

It's a whole series of transactions that have buried the Suns. To name only a few:
1. Passing on Haliburton
2. Durant trade
3. Beal trade
4. Ayton trade (he would have been off the books by now)
5. Allen extension
6. O'Neale extension

Unlike many here, I still like the general idea of KD trade except for minor parts. They'd have traded Crowder for Hachimura in 3-way with Bucks earlier and insisted on Yuta as filler.
The worst was the Beal trade, where we'd have been much better off by just waive CP3. Then another 'minor' throw away of Camara in that DA deal.
Then the bad contracts for GA and RO in both length and size, while Malik Beasley, Trent, Jones, Marshall, Oubre, Prince, Westbrook, etc. all went for min on the market.
Ideally, after the KD trade, if we had let PC3 go and done the rumored sign and trade of DA for Turner + filler or Irvine, kept Camara, signed some of the above listed much better min players than Yuta, Metu etc. in addition to MLE player, we'd have been fine still.