The Official 2025 Offseason Thread #4 Free Agency Opens!

[bigfoot]

https://valleyofthesuns.com/phoenix-suns-khaman-maluach-summer-league-proves-scouts-biggest-worry

https://raptorsrapture.com/toronto-raptors-dodged-draft-day-disaster-already-haunting-suns-khaman-maluach

Yikers. Muluach getting hammered. Even being called a draft day disaster.

Tape these articles right to his locker so he can look at them every day.

[PhxLax]

https://valleyofthesuns.com/phoenix-suns-khaman-maluach-summer-league-proves-scouts-biggest-worry

https://raptorsrapture.com/toronto-raptors-dodged-draft-day-disaster-already-haunting-suns-khaman-maluach

Yikers. Muluach getting hammered. Even being called a draft day disaster.

Tape these articles right to his locker so he can look at them every day.

I always felt uneasy about this draftee. Never comfortable anytime you draft a center in the top ten. If you look at history, more top ten centers are busts than any other position. It's a risk I wouldn't have taken esp when you gave up KD. You needed to draft a dog that hustles and shoots not a giant dude who plays a position with highest bust fail rate and only has about, what, 4 years experience playing the sport?

Is there any way u can trade Maluach away at this point?

[sunsbg]

Can't write off any of the rooks just yet, but based on SL play they need a lot of work to become even just solid players.

Had a YT video recommendation on importance of offseason for mental, physical and skill preparation of a professional player. Hope our guys are doing the work and look better in preseason.

Watch on YouTube

[garrick]

https://valleyofthesuns.com/phoenix-suns-khaman-maluach-summer-league-proves-scouts-biggest-worry

https://raptorsrapture.com/toronto-raptors-dodged-draft-day-disaster-already-haunting-suns-khaman-maluach

Yikers. Muluach getting hammered. Even being called a draft day disaster.

Tape these articles right to his locker so he can look at them every day.

I always felt uneasy about this draftee. Never comfortable anytime you draft a center in the top ten. If you look at history, more top ten centers are busts than any other position. It's a risk I wouldn't have taken esp when you gave up KD. You needed to draft a dog that hustles and shoots not a giant dude who plays a position with highest bust fail rate and only has about, what, 4 years experience playing the sport?

Is there any way u can trade Maluach away at this point?

Pre SL sure but now that the cat is out of the bag we probably won't find a deal that we like.

This is what made the pick so puzzling, Maluach is maybe 2-3 years away from competing so why take such a flier on him at #10?

He really should have stayed in school another year or two to work on his game because it's not looking pretty right now although having him launch multiple 3's a game probably did not do him any favors. I'm desperately hoping he's not another Hasheem Thabeet...

[Mr Puddles]

Tape these articles right to his locker so he can look at them every day.

I always felt uneasy about this draftee. Never comfortable anytime you draft a center in the top ten. If you look at history, more top ten centers are busts than any other position. It's a risk I wouldn't have taken esp when you gave up KD. You needed to draft a dog that hustles and shoots not a giant dude who plays a position with highest bust fail rate and only has about, what, 4 years experience playing the sport?

Is there any way u can trade Maluach away at this point?

Pre SL sure but now that the cat is out of the bag we probably won't find a deal that we like.

This is what made the pick so puzzling, Maluach is maybe 2-3 years away from competing so why take such a flier on him at #10?

He really should have stayed in school another year or two to work on his game because it's not looking pretty right now although having him launch multiple 3's a game probably did not do him any favors. I'm desperately hoping he's not another Hasheem Thabeet...

I knew there were going to be overreactions on Maluach following summer league, he's basically the prototype of player who will look bad in this setting.

Let's remember that Ryan Dunn barely looked like a basketball player in summer league last year. He averaged 5.8 ppg on 37% fg and 7.7% 3pg.

[Mr Puddles]

Tape these articles right to his locker so he can look at them every day.

I always felt uneasy about this draftee. Never comfortable anytime you draft a center in the top ten. If you look at history, more top ten centers are busts than any other position. It's a risk I wouldn't have taken esp when you gave up KD. You needed to draft a dog that hustles and shoots not a giant dude who plays a position with highest bust fail rate and only has about, what, 4 years experience playing the sport?

Is there any way u can trade Maluach away at this point?

Pre SL sure but now that the cat is out of the bag we probably won't find a deal that we like.

This is what made the pick so puzzling, Maluach is maybe 2-3 years away from competing so why take such a flier on him at #10?

He really should have stayed in school another year or two to work on his game because it's not looking pretty right now although having him launch multiple 3's a game probably did not do him any favors. I'm desperately hoping he's not another Hasheem Thabeet...

I knew there were going to be overreactions on Maluach following summer league, he's basically the prototype of player who will look bad in this setting. Pre-summer league I even made a post urging people to not overreact and temper their expectations.

Let's remember that Ryan Dunn barely looked like a basketball player in summer league last year. He averaged 5.8 ppg on 37% fg and 7.7% 3pg, and turned out to be surprisingly good for us in the end.

[Saberestar]

I always felt uneasy about this draftee. Never comfortable anytime you draft a center in the top ten. If you look at history, more top ten centers are busts than any other position. It's a risk I wouldn't have taken esp when you gave up KD. You needed to draft a dog that hustles and shoots not a giant dude who plays a position with highest bust fail rate and only has about, what, 4 years experience playing the sport?

Is there any way u can trade Maluach away at this point?

Pre SL sure but now that the cat is out of the bag we probably won't find a deal that we like.

This is what made the pick so puzzling, Maluach is maybe 2-3 years away from competing so why take such a flier on him at #10?

He really should have stayed in school another year or two to work on his game because it's not looking pretty right now although having him launch multiple 3's a game probably did not do him any favors. I'm desperately hoping he's not another Hasheem Thabeet...

I knew there were going to be overreactions on Maluach following summer league, he's basically the prototype of player who will look bad in this setting.

Let's remember that Ryan Dunn barely looked like a basketball player in summer league last year. He averaged 5.8 ppg on 37% fg and 7.7% 3pg, and turned out to be surprisingly good for us in the end.

Yeah, this is the reality of Summer League. For good reason or bad reason it just gives you an unfair impression of any rookie.

17.2 points
9.2 rebounds
1.6 assists
1.2 steals
1.0 blocks
All Summer League First Team 2017.

Do you like that performance in Summer League? Well, it was Josh Jackson, that performance in Summer League meant nothing about his future in the league.

Maluach showed multiple good things in Summer League.

He got to the line a lot and he will make his FTs in the future. He has shown in the past that he is a good FT shooter.

He played hard and with effort on every play. I am not taking that for granted because he is a 7 footer.

He wasn't shy from 3 or putting the ball on the floor. The confidence is there. He isn't afraid of contact and that's huge too.

And he was a nice presence on the bench and he is gonna be a positive guy in the locker room. Another good skill.

And all of that when he is not even 19 years old yet.

[Sunsdeuce]

Jul. 21, 2025, 11:56 PM MST

The Phoenix Suns bought out Bradley Beal and stretched his remaining money, taking them out of the luxury tax entirely after they began the summer over the second apron. While that has some positive implications for unfreezing the Suns’ 2032 and 2033 draft picks, it’s hard to think that Team Damn the Torpedoes had that factor top of mind. Instead, it’s a continuation of another theme: The Suns paring back sharply on expenses after owner Mat Ishbia’s opening two years in charge. That carried over in a humorous way to the postgame scene in Vegas, where other teams’ staffers noted with sadness that Suns personnel were no longer buying rounds for everyone and putting it on Ishbia’s tab.

New York Times

[bwgood77]

I wish for once we had players that cared like this:

Read on Twitter

[Frank Lee]

So we used the tenth pick on a player who won’t be able to contribute for at least a year. No surprise here. Many will defend this kid, armed with ‘potential’ and ‘only played basketball for 4 years’ BS. Facts remain. Eyes dont lie. This is a wasted pick until Maluach actually shows something tangible. So many yellow flags ignored. There is logic about not drafting 18 yr olds based on potential alone.

[KdoubleDees23]

So we used the tenth pick on a player who won’t be able to contribute for at least a year. No surprise here. Many will defend this kid, armed with ‘potential’ and ‘only played basketball for 4 years’ BS. Facts remain. Eyes dont lie. This is a wasted pick until Maluach actually shows something tangible. So many yellow flags ignored. There is logic about not drafting 18 yr olds based on potential alone.

I agree. I still think if the work ethic is there and he is willing to learn and get better. He can be a late bloomer in 3-4 years, but on Bookers timeline we needed someone who was more developed for now. We will see. I hope the kid pans out.

[KdoubleDees23]

Trade -

Oso & Allen to the Magic or Dunn & Allen - Throw whatever picks we need
Black & Isaac to the Suns.

Give them a shooter in Allen and back up big to fill Isaacs role in Oso on a better contract.

Suns

Booker / Black / Gillespie
Green / Black / Brea
Brooks / Dunn or Nigel Hayes-Davis
Isaac / O'Neale / Fleming
Williams / Richards / Maluach

thats a deep team, and would be a blast to watch

Magic

Suggs / Tyus Jones
Desmond Bane / Grayson Allen
Franz Wagner / Tristan Da Silva
Banchero / Oso/Dunn or Moritz Wagner
Carter Jr / Goga

[RayLight]

I was thinking - why the Suns are not chasing Jrue Holiday?
He clearly wants out of Portland.

[bwgood77]

So we used the tenth pick on a player who won’t be able to contribute for at least a year. No surprise here. Many will defend this kid, armed with ‘potential’ and ‘only played basketball for 4 years’ BS. Facts remain. Eyes dont lie. This is a wasted pick until Maluach actually shows something tangible. So many yellow flags ignored. There is logic about not drafting 18 yr olds based on potential alone.

C'mon, Ayton hadn't played that long relative to other players coming out, and look how well he panned out!

[bwgood77]

It really makes it all the better we got Mark Williams, who is still on a rookie contract and we will be able to sign him to another deal for probably a bargain given his injury history, which hopefully, is mostly behind him.

[BobbieL]

I wish for once we had players that cared like this:

Read on Twitter

San Diego Charger!

[BobbieL]

Trade -

Oso & Allen to the Magic or Dunn & Allen - Throw whatever picks we need
Black & Isaac to the Suns.

Give them a shooter in Allen and back up big to fill Isaacs role in Oso on a better contract.

Suns

Booker / Black / Gillespie
Green / Black / Brea
Brooks / Dunn or Nigel Hayes-Davis
Isaac / O'Neale / Fleming
Williams / Richards / Maluach

thats a deep team, and would be a blast to watch

Magic

Suggs / Tyus Jones
Desmond Bane / Grayson Allen
Franz Wagner / Tristan Da Silva
Banchero / Oso/Dunn or Moritz Wagner
Carter Jr / Goga

Suns do not have the picks to just throw away to just give them whatever they want.

I think just ride out the season until the trade deadline and see who needs Allen, Royce &/or Richards.

[BobbieL]

I was thinking - why the Suns are not chasing Jrue Holiday?
He clearly wants out of Portland.

It would cost Royce, Allen and Richards - -maybe the Blazers get cap space after this year with Richards off the books

But Jrue would be on the books for three more years

I still think don't use that long term cap space on Jrue and just see what market for Royce, Allen and Richards at the deadline

[Fo-Real]

I was thinking - why the Suns are not chasing Jrue Holiday?
He clearly wants out of Portland.

Because they don't want Grayson and Royce.

[garrick]

Pre SL sure but now that the cat is out of the bag we probably won't find a deal that we like.

This is what made the pick so puzzling, Maluach is maybe 2-3 years away from competing so why take such a flier on him at #10?

He really should have stayed in school another year or two to work on his game because it's not looking pretty right now although having him launch multiple 3's a game probably did not do him any favors. I'm desperately hoping he's not another Hasheem Thabeet...

I knew there were going to be overreactions on Maluach following summer league, he's basically the prototype of player who will look bad in this setting.

Let's remember that Ryan Dunn barely looked like a basketball player in summer league last year. He averaged 5.8 ppg on 37% fg and 7.7% 3pg, and turned out to be surprisingly good for us in the end.

Yeah, this is the reality of Summer League. For good reason or bad reason it just gives you an unfair impression of any rookie.

17.2 points
9.2 rebounds
1.6 assists
1.2 steals
1.0 blocks
All Summer League First Team 2017.

Do you like that performance in Summer League? Well, it was Josh Jackson, that performance in Summer League meant nothing about his future in the league.

Maluach showed multiple good things in Summer League.

He got to the line a lot and he will make his FTs in the future. He has shown in the past that he is a good FT shooter.

He played hard and with effort on every play. I am not taking that for granted because he is a 7 footer.

He wasn't shy from 3 or putting the ball on the floor. The confidence is there. He isn't afraid of contact and that's huge too.

And he was a nice presence on the bench and he is gonna be a positive guy in the locker room. Another good skill.

And all of that when he is not even 19 years old yet.

Josh Jackson showed glimpses that he could be a basketball player the problem was he never fixed his bad BBALL IQ, bad attitude and refusal to work on his game. His problem was never the physical part it was the mental aspect that he could never fix, Maluach seems to be quite the opposite with a good attitude and good character but it remains to be seen if he can work on his strength, ball handling and other physical aspects which are a work in progress.