The Phoenix Suns now have roster flexibility because they are under the first and second league tax apron. What needs remain?
Devin Booker now stands alone.
The Phoenix Suns went into the 2023-24 season with a Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Booker looking to compete for an NBA championship.
They fell way short of that.
Minnesota swept them in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.
Last season, the Suns won just 36 games and didn’t even make the play-in tournament with that trio leading the team.
Phoenix has since moved on and forward from the "super team."
The Suns traded Durant to Houston before the 2025 draft and now have bought out Beal's contract, which will allow him to move on, presumably with the Clippers once he clears waivers, his agent confirmed.
What’s next?
The buyout puts Phoenix under the first and second league tax apron, which allows them more flexibility in making deals. The Suns can now acquire players in the mid-level exception, sign-and-trade and aggregate salaries in a trade.
Beal gave back essentially $13.9 million of the $110 million left on his previous contract with the Suns over two seasons. The Suns plan to stretch out the remaining $96 to $97 million over five seasons in taking a sizeable cap hit, but they have more roster flexibility now.
Phoenix has 13 players on a standard roster, counting Nigel Hayes-Davis, who recently starred in the Euroleague. The Suns haven’t officially announced that the 6-foot-8 forward signed a one-year deal with them.
The Suns have reached their limit on two-way players with Koby Brea, CJ Huntley and Isaiah Livers.
A team can have a maximum of 15 players on its standard roster at the start of the regular season.
Phoenix could stay pat going into the 2025-26 season. They have three 7-footers in Mark Williams, Nick Richards and rookie Khaman Maluach, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 draft out of Duke, as well as second-year big Oso Ighodaro.
The rest of the current roster is perimeter-heavy. Jalen Green and Booker are projected to start in the Suns’ backcourt. Grayson Allen and Collin Gillespie are guards as well.
Ryan Dunn, Dillon Brooks, Royce O’Neale and rookie Rasheer Fleming are natural threes, but could also play the four.
The Suns are lacking a point guard and a natural four.
Booker can play the point and averaged a career-high 7.1 assists last season, but he’s more of a two. Gillespie is the only player on the team who is labeled a point guard.
Enter Chris Paul.
The Suns have been linked to the 40-year-old free agent for this very reason, along with Paul’s desire to play closer to his family, which resides in Los Angeles. Paul was the catalyst for Phoenix’s run to the 2021 finals and would address the team's need at point guard.
Allen and O’Neale have been in reported trade talks. O'Neale attended Phoenix’s summer league opener last week in Las Vegas. They both have tradeable contracts as far as per year and are two of the game’s best 3-point shooters.
Teams value shooting, including the Suns.
The Suns have size at center, but they are small everywhere else. Having a natural four who can rebound and stretch the four would make them a more complete roster.
Ighodaro fits the size and rebounding part, but he hasn’t shown a perimeter game. The Suns have played Maluach and Ighodaro together this summer, a sign they may be up to playing the rookie and Williams on the floor together.
Having Maluach shoot 3s in Vegas feeds into that idea. Phoenix may very well utilize its bigs like the Cleveland Cavaliers did last season with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
First-year head coach Jordan Ott served as a Cavs assistant last season.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns under tax apron after Bradley Beal buyout: What's next
Category: Basketball
