Phoenix Suns' Future Outlook
The Phoenix Suns had a pretty solid season for the Phoenix Suns, or at least the post-Steve Nash Phoenix Suns. They had an All-Star (replacement) in G Devin Booker, and have him on the books until the 2024 off-season. They likely won't make the playoffs barring a collapse by Memphis and a huge winning streak by the Suns, but a 22-33 record puts them in a better spot than they have been in the past few years. Some might say it is the "NBA Purgatory" that they are headed for, but with Booker and second-year pro DeAndre Ayton who is quietly having a really good season, the Suns appear to have some sort of potential in the future.
WHO'S GONE: C Aron Baynes, PF Dario Saric, F/C Cheick Diallo, PG Jevon Carter, F Jonah Bolden
Phoenix has a couple of players with club options, Diallo and fellow big man Frank Kaminsky. I'm not sure what they do with Diallo (because it's Diallo so who really cares), but I do believe they will keep Kaminsky. With Baynes and Saric both free agents, keeping Kaminsky around for about $5 million is a bargain. His PER is better than Saric, he's significantly younger than Baynes and will be much cheaper. He's a 10-5 guy for the Suns in 32 games, which isn't bad for a backup. I do think the Suns would like to keep Saric, but it's not make or break for them. They'd probably prefer Baynes, if he stays for a reasonable price.
WHO'S LEFT:
C-DeAndre Ayton, Frank Kaminsky*
PF-Kelly Oubre, Cameron Johnson
SF-Mikal Bridges
SG-Devin Booker, Elie Okobo
PG-Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque
They have a good foundation here, with a veteran point guard in Rubio to lead a still very young roster (Kaminsky at 27 is the only other older than 25). Booker and Ayton could be a James Harden-Dwight Howard kind of deal in Phoenix, and they have a good trio of young forwards as well. Jerome and Lecque have barely played this season, and Okobo has been very underwhelming.
WHAT'S NEXT:
Phoenix needs to fill out the roster with quality players who are a step up from what they ran out with this season. They won't have a ton of cap room so hitting on their draft pick will matter, and it also means they will likely retain Saric. Mostly, though, they need a couple of wings to provide depth for the youngsters and give the Suns some experience.
So, is Phoenix a potential playoff team in 2021? It's possible, but I'd say it's also very doubtful. Aside from Houston, none of the playoff teams in the West are trending in the wrong direction, and then you throw in Golden State's return, New Orleans with Zion Williamson and a solid Portland team making Phoenix at least 12th in the pecking order. San Antonio, Sacramento and Minnesota are the other three teams that are unlikely at this point, but they all have talent their too. The Spurs have Gregg Popovich still, the Kings have young talent and who knows what the Wolves will be with Karl Towns and D'Angelo Russell.
So what does this mean then? What should Phoenix do? The Suns have the second longest playoff drought by three years and only trail the Kings, and very much look like it will continue for at least another season. Right now, all the Suns can do is hope that internal growth and the rest of the West beating each other up could help them sneak into the playoff conversation. There are not any huge free agents, and if there were, they can't and won't come to Phoenix. Would trading for Kevin Love move the needle? I doubt it, and if so, does giving up, say, Bridges, Oubre and Jerome make it worth it? What about trading Booker away? That would guarantee three more seasons at least without a playoff appearance.
Phoenix is in a pickle, not because of their own doing per say (except the Josh Jackson stuff), but because the West is still loaded. If they were in the East, they would probably be fighting for the playoffs next season, but since they are not, they need to solve this mess.
