ESPN’s Bobby Marks: Where Suns sit after NBA offseason signings

Due to their status as a team subject to the NBA’s luxury tax, the Phoenix Suns had very little room for improvement going into the 2024 offseason. However, ESPN’s Bobby Marks praised the Suns for their ability to work around the restrictions, re-signing Josh Okogie and Royce O’Neale and acquiring point guard Monte Morris.

“Morris averaged a career-high 5.3 assists (over) two years with the Washington Wizards and fills a much-needed void at point guard. The $8 million Okogie payroll offers the Suns a marketable asset in mid-January. O’Neale is one of four players in the NBA to record 150 3-pointers, 50 steals, and 40 blocks in each of the past two seasons.”

Marks believes that the Suns should be cautious about a potential contract extension for Kevin Durant as the 2024–25 season approaches.

“After two years of service ($51.2 million and $54.7 million), Durant, 35, will be entitled to sign a one-year extension that will pay him $59.7 million in 2026–2027, the year he turns 38.”

Additional Suns offseason additions and transfers

The Suns selected forwards Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro in the 2024 NBA Draft in addition to those additions. Ighodaro (the 40th overall pick) signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract, while Dunn (the 28th overall pick) signed a four-year, $13 million agreement.

Following the draft, the Suns inked two-way contracts with Jalen Bridges and Collin Gillespie. Gillespie has played for the Denver Nuggets for one season, while Bridges comes from Baylor.

Mason Plumlee, a center, was also signed by the Suns to a $3.3 million, one-year deal.

The 6-foot-10 veteran, who most recently played in a supporting role for the Los Angeles Clippers from 2022 to 2024, will be starting his 11th NBA season. In 46 games with LA last season, he averaged 5.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 14.7 minutes. Morris is accustomed to Plumlee because both players were bench players for the Nuggets from 2017 to 20.

After missing the whole previous season with a right meniscus injury, Damion Lee re-signed with the Suns for a one-year contract for $2.7 million. According to the guard, he is “85%” healthy and will be prepared for the team’s next training camp.

The explosive 7-foot-3 center Bol Bol was the most recent player from the 2023–24 Suns roster to resign, agreeing to a one-year, $2.3 million contract. He took up the last available roster position, number fifteen.

Bol finished the previous season with an average of 10.6 minutes, 5.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks.

For unspecified personal reasons, he withdrew himself off South Sudan’s Olympic lineup on Friday.

With the Summer Suns, how did the rookies fare?

The Summer Suns lost 87-77 against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, ending their Las Vegas stay with a 2-3 record.

Ighodaro was quite impressive when he played, especially on Friday when they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 115-90 and against the Kings, when he had eight points and 11 rebounds.

In the third game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, fellow rookie Dunn made his first three-pointer as a Sun, displaying his readiness to take risks despite a shooting problem. In his four games played, he was just 1-for-13 from deep, thus that was his only three-ball of the game.

With 16 points and four three-pointers made in the Summer League championship game, Bridges proved to be worth the ticket price. Throughout his session, he made a Summer Suns record-tying 14 three-pointers.