2026 off season

[Phrazbit]

Fun year, drastically exceeded pretty much all of our expectations, OKC whipped us.

What next?

Realistic talk. I know a lot of people would like to flip Booker but we all know it isn't happening, neither is firing Ott or trading for Giannis.

 

[Phrazbit]

For me, the log jam on the wings is something we need to clear up.

I like Royce, but I feel like he could net us a first round pick during the draft, probably in the latter half of the first, if so, we should take it.

I'd also cash in on Allen if someone has the hots for him. He's grown on me a lot and I actually feel like he was a very important part of the team... when he was healthy, but he fell apart as the year went on and the last month, even when he did play, he was basically a turret. He could shoot, but he couldn't move.

At minimum, we gotta get off one of them. Free up minutes and money, if it's only 1, I'd prefer it be Royce, he's really inconsistent and doesn't bring as much to the table, even if he's healthy far more often.

I also am still heavily in favor of moving off Green. I wouldn't trade him for nothing (so it might be hard to move him) but we played a really unselfish offense for much of the season, lots of cutting and quick passes and that just isn't his game. He cut back on the REALLY awful play as the year went on, but... I don't think the speed and quickness he provides outweigh how often he shoots and how bad he is at shooting. It's also wild that a guy as aggressive as him very rarely can draw a foul. I expect we won't trade him as I think his value is pretty low... so I hope he figures stuff out. If we do keep him, I think he should be a sixth man... try to turn him into Jamal Crawford with hops. He is a heat check shooter and I also think he and Booker and Brooks just don't fit together.

I think we probably need to either keep Williams on whatever one year "prove it" deal we can get him on, and if that isn't an option then we need to sign a bridge center. Man Man showed flashes, but the dude is still a teenager, I don't think he's ready to start yet, but we better give him a rotation spot.

Those are the obvious moves to me.

 

[Hoop Head]

I'd like to see Grayson dealt but not just for financial flexibility, I want a forward in return. I'd even package him with Dunn if it helped bring back a starting quality PF.

I'd be open to trading Royce but as more of a last item, if we need to shed a few bucks then dump him somewhere. He's a steady hand who is available so I wouldn't rush into anything involving him,

I'd try to lock Goodwin in for the next 2-3 years at around $4 million a year. Any higher than $5 million should have team options. He's too important as an energy guy. He's like a much better version of Josh Okogie. He's everywhere on both sides of the ball making high IQ plays. He is a capable shooter also which makes him better than Okogie. Retaining him should be a top priority.

Gillepsie needs resigned also and the fact he came down to earth around the All-Star break should help us retain him. He's not worth the max he can get, which is close to $15 million a year. Ideally we can get him for something like 3 years $25 million. Something just below $10 million annually would be good. I worry how tradable a deal he signs ia so I wouldn't break the bank. If he played like he did in late March or April though no one would consider taking on a deal worth $14m or his max.

We need to get Williams locked in for the qualifying offer. I'd even use that to build if he wants a longer deal. Don't go above the $9.6 or whatever his qualifying offer is. Team options are a must, even if triggered by games played.

I'd shop Dunn quietly. See if a change of place helps him. Maybe another team wants a young wing and is willing to swap a young big for him.

Hopefully we have a complete roster after those guys are taken care of. Test the trade market of Jalen Green also but don't take a deal just to shake things up. I'm a little worried that may happen if Sabonis really wants to be here. Unless SacTown throws in a #1 with Sabonis, I'd pass.

 

[Phrazbit]

I'd like to see Grayson dealt but not just for financial flexibility, I want a forward in return. I'd even package him with Dunn if it helped bring back a starting quality PF.

I'd be open to trading Royce but as more of a last item, if we need to shed a few bucks then dump him somewhere. He's a steady hand who is available so I wouldn't rush into anything involving him,

I'd try to lock Goodwin in for the next 2-3 years at around $4 million a year. Any higher than $5 million should have team options. He's too important as an energy guy. He's like a much better version of Josh Okogie. He's everywhere on both sides of the ball making high IQ plays. He is a capable shooter also which makes him better than Okogie. Retaining him should be a top priority.

Gillepsie needs resigned also and the fact he came down to earth around the All-Star break should help us retain him. He's not worth the max he can get, which is close to $15 million a year. Ideally we can get him for something like 3 years $25 million. Something just below $10 million annually would be good. I worry how tradable a deal he signs ia so I wouldn't break the bank. If he played like he did in late March or April though no one would consider taking on a deal worth $14m or his max.

We need to get Williams locked in for the qualifying offer. I'd even use that to build if he wants a longer deal. Don't go above the $9.6 or whatever his qualifying offer is. Team options are a must, even if triggered by games played.

I'd shop Dunn quietly. See if a change of place helps him. Maybe another team wants a young wing and is willing to swap a young big for him.

Hopefully we have a complete roster after those guys are taken care of. Test the trade market of Jalen Green also but don't take a deal just to shake things up. I'm a little worried that may happen if Sabonis really wants to be here. Unless SacTown throws in a #1 with Sabonis, I'd pass.

I think Goodwin is going to get a lot more than that.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

I think Goodwin is going to get a lot more than that.

gillespie too

 

[SirStefan32]

This will be a weird off season for me, as I like everyone on the roster, but it's clear they don't have enough size and they have too many wings. so someone will have to go.

Grayson has really turned into a complete player over the past couple of years. He can get to the rim now, he can create for himself, and he is not awful defensively. That said, he can't stay healthy. Royce does a little bit of everything, he is a very smart player, doesn't need a lot of shots, and he doesn't get hurt. Neither of them are super overpaid, both are great guys, but I just don't see how you can keep them and find them playing time while ensuring the youngsters get more minutes. I think Highsmith gives you most of what you'd lose if you traded these two, but with better defense.

I don't know what to do with Green. He is much better defensively than I expected him to be, and he is so quick and athletic, which is something Suns really need. That said, the second he is on the floor, the ball stops moving. He also does some bone-headed things out there that really hurt the team. I cannot figure out if he is just learning how to play in a system that moves the ball or if he just has an incredibly low basketball IQ. Having him on the roster also forces Booker to play point guard, which I don't want. Perhaps you can play Green at 3 if your 4 and 5 are huge, but Then you can't play Brooks. If Green goes, I probably want to keep Grayson.

Brooks is the heart and soul of this team, so I would not trade him.

Gillespie and Goodwin need to be extended.

Williams looks like a legitimate starting center when healthy, but I don't think you can pay him a lot or rely on him staying healthy. I'd look at potential trades, but I am fine with him staying on the roster while Maluach develops.

Dunn, Flemming, and Maluach need to live in the gym shooting thousands of threes every day the entire offseason. That is how this team becomes really scary- three long, athletic guys with great size for their positions who can play defense and knock down threes.

Additions need to be bigs who can move, defend, and shoot jumpers. Royce, Grayson, and potentially Green should be used to find those guys.

 

[Covert Rain]

I know we are not trading Booker but we should. Not because he is "washed" (that's nonsense). Not because I don't love him. Because he would bring the most assets in return and could go a long way towards rebuilding the franchise. Any moves we make like trading Grayson or Royce likely are just moves that will spin our wheels making this a"fun" team until Book is truly washed. Outside a shocking trade, this team has no title hopes as built. OKC was a true measure how far away this team really is.

The one caveat I will throw out there is this. Under Ishbia, every time I think this team has no moves? He finds a way to make a move.

Generally speaking, this team needs to get bigger. @Mainstreet and I have been clamoring for a PF move for the past several offseasons. I think that need has come to a head. Flemming could be the future at that position for sure if he continues to improve. However, having a veteran at that position would improve us now and give him more time to develop.

Center? Have no clue. Williams is always hurt but Oso is not a starting center in this league. Man Man is not ready. We missed Williams badly. If we move on from Williams you also need to replace him as well with someone at his level (when healthy) until Man Man is ready to be a starter which isn't likely anytime soon.

Point Guard. I hate to say it like so many other offseasons, but the Suns need a distributing PG. Defenses key on Book and he can't be your best shooter and distributer.

I am also not convinced that Book, Green and Brooks together is a good fit. Brooks is too in love with his shot which takes opportunities out of Books hand, causes more Iso and the offense bogs down.

The Suns have their work cut out for them. I think the Suns need more than a simple tweak. Here is to hope that the Suns have more front office magic.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

i don't know what to expect but i don't think ish will or can sit on his hands

ecosystems are delicate - if you get rid of something and/or introduce something new everything is going to change - some ish you never expected

the food chain dramatically changed when we brought in the predator known as jalen green - he started eating everything - but people (myself included) were all like he's hungry let him eat

our first quarters became unrecognizable - book and gillespie went on a diet to accommodate jalen

ecosystems also change when something is removed - we had 3 species vanish after the all star break (right as jalen came in) with williams - dillon and grayson all missing substantial time

this is why ott still gets an A- from me - he wasn't just dealing with your typical ecosystem - nah - in flux doesn't describe it enough - and this happened when all the other teams were locking in and fighting for playoff seeds

had our early ecosystem not changed we might've had a chance to avoid the play-in imo but that's ok - we needed to see jalen - we needed to see if gillespie could still thrive with jalen around

most of all we needed to know mark williams couldn't do back to backs - we're a different team without him and that's the way it has to be - oso is our durable back up and maluach the future

all that and we won 45 games - and got to get our asses kicked by the very best - suns saw up close and personal what the top level looks like - the suns know how far they have to go

i can't wait for next year - no clue what we'll do during the offseason - can ish resist his impulses for the next 5 months or will he shake ish up again because gregory schmegory - if you read ish's message to fans yesterday you know who's running ish

 

[Covert Rain]

The guys on the radio were saying the Suns have 2 salary exceptions next season. They mentioned an 18 million dollar exception (not sure which one that is but it has to be one of the MLEs) and the bi-annual exception to work with.

 

[Superbone]

Rebounding. In my mind, that's the number one thing we need to address. Can't win if we can't get a rebound after a stop.

#2 is bringing in a facilitator and get Booker back to primarily being a shooting guard. Maybe Gillespie and/or Oso can be that guy but I wouldn't mind another. Green and Brooks are both ISO/one-on-one guys.

 

[95pro]

We just need to find a solid 4 at the expense of Oneal. Oneal is too streaky for my liking, we see playoff teams make them when they need them, and when wide open. Oneal is just too streaky for my liking to go cold in a playoff game. Also he's older, lost a step and isn't atheltic enough. He's #1 on my list to go.
I hated Allen, but when Book and Green are off (and when Allens not injured), Allen has added attacking the basket to his resume.

Our biggest problem is guard defense; Book, Green, Gillespie and Allen are all mediocure at it. How do we fix it without getting rid of any one of them?

 

[SirStefan32]

The guys on the radio were saying the Suns have 2 salary exceptions next season. They mentioned an 18 million dollar exception (not sure which one that is but it has to be one of the MLEs) and the bi-annual exception to work with.

I think they also have a couple of cash exemptions from the last couple of trades. I don't know how useful those are, but I clearly remember at least two them.

 

[Mainstreet]

The guys on the radio were saying the Suns have 2 salary exceptions next season. They mentioned an 18 million dollar exception (not sure which one that is but it has to be one of the MLEs) and the bi-annual exception to work with.

The Suns are under both salary caps so they do have the exceptions.

Where it gets a bit complex, I gather the Suns need to stay there because of the harsh CBA penalties. As I understand it, all salaries count towards the cap.

 

[Hoop Head]

I think Goodwin is going to get a lot more than that.

He may get more but I doubt it's a lot more. There's a lot of players in his archetype out there. He's been traded and waived twice in the last 2 years also, which speaks to how short his resume is. He needs another year like last to see a real increase in pay.

 

[Carolinacacti]

Go get Rui Huchamuri from there Lakers he is a free agent. Trade All the wings except Dillon to make it work

 

[95pro]

I'd take Oubre, ufa, made 9M, affordable, taller/athletic. Fills a need.

 

[Mainstreet]

Thinking back, the Suns need a Steve Nash or Goran Dragic moment. I'm sure there are other examples of getting there like the Chris Paul or Larry Nance trade.

Steve Nash was obtained a second time as a free agent and Goran Dragic was a second round pick acquired a second time as well.

The unpleasant reality is operating under the current CBA.

 

[Mainstreet]

Go get Rui Huchamuri from there Lakers he is a free agent. Trade All the wings except Dillon to make it work

That was a move the Suns should have made before he went to the Lakers. He would help.

Btw, another player I always wanted was Bobby Portis but that never happened.

 

[95pro]

That was a move the Suns should have made before he went to the Lakers. He would help.

I honestly think we tried/inquired but Rui made up his mind to get to LA. It was an obvious acquisition to make, the need/fit was there, we had an opening and funds to do so. That's my only explanation on why it never happened.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

It seems pretty clear that we're going to have to trade a Brooks or Green to get better. Green has very little trade value, so Brooks it is. The Brooks show was fun for the first half, but grew tiresome as the year went on. There is a reason no team keeps him in the long run, and I don't want to be the team paying him big money in his regression years.

I realize that we might lose some of the toughness that defined us early in the season, but let's face it - the team at the end of the season was nothing like what we saw for the first 3 months. It seems as simple as the fact that good teams don't try hard early in the season, and once they do, the same tricks don't work as well.

I'd like to find a way to get rid of Green as well - he's a terrible fit with Booker. If we could somehow find a way to parlay him for someone who can run an offense so Book is off the ball, all the better.

Williams is an odd case - in a vacuum, you'd think the 9M QO would be a good solution - that said, I really like Oso as a backup, and you don't draft Maluach at 10 to block him. Are we even able to trade Williams if we'd like to? He was excellent early on, but became increasingly worthless as the season went on, and then predictably went down with an injury. Hard to imagine a chronic foot problem getting better with time.

It was a neat trick to turn this very flawed roster into a playoff team, but the task of becoming an actual contender with our dearth of resources, and a 65M man playing like the 3rd best player on a contending team makes me very pessimistic.

 

[Mainstreet]

I honestly think we tried/inquired but Rui made up his mind to get to LA. It was an obvious acquisition to make, the need/fit was there, we had an opening and funds to do so. That's my only explanation on why it never happened.

He was there for the taking although there could have been an agenda.

 

[Mainstreet]

I wish the Suns would overload on big men. It's much easier to acquire a guard if caught short handed at a position.

 

[Mainstreet]

It seems pretty clear that we're going to have to trade a Brooks or Green to get better. Green has very little trade value, so Brooks it is. The Brooks show was fun for the first half, but grew tiresome as the year went on. There is a reason no team keeps him in the long run, and I don't want to be the team paying him big money in his regression years.

I realize that we might lose some of the toughness that defined us early in the season, but let's face it - the team at the end of the season was nothing like what we saw for the first 3 months. It seems as simple as the fact that good teams don't try hard early in the season, and once they do, the same tricks don't work as well.

I'd like to find a way to get rid of Green as well - he's a terrible fit with Booker. If we could somehow find a way to parlay him for someone who can run an offense so Book is off the ball, all the better.

Williams is an odd case - in a vacuum, you'd think the 9M QO would be a good solution - that said, I really like Oso as a backup, and you don't draft Maluach at 10 to block him. Are we even able to trade Williams if we'd like to? He was excellent early on, but became increasingly worthless as the season went on, and then predictably went down with an injury. Hard to imagine a chronic foot problem getting better with time.

It was a neat trick to turn this very flawed roster into a playoff team, but the task of becoming an actual contender with our dearth of resources, and a 65M man playing like the 3rd best player on a contending team makes me very pessimistic.

I'm not keen on trading Dillon Brooks but it makes a lot of sense under the CBA.

He has both value as a player and as an expiring contract.

 

[Chaplin]

I'm not keen on trading Dillon Brooks but it makes a lot of sense under the CBA.

He has both value as a player and as an expiring contract.

Brooks is almost certainly going to sign an extension with us.

 

[Mainstreet]

Brooks is almost certainly going to sign an extension with us.

We'll see how the Suns value their players soon enough.

It will be an interesting summer with important free agent and extension decisions to be made. Maybe even trades.