The Official 2025 Offseason Thread #4 Free Agency Opens!

[BobbieL]

Shams:

The Phoenix Suns have claimed former Lakers guard Jordan Goodwin off free agency waivers, sources tell ESPN. Goodwin, waived by the Lakers to create roster space for Marcus Smart, is a gritty, upside pickup for the Suns backcourt.

I like the signing because its just the vet minimum, probably

There wasn't a player worth using the TPMLE to go over the lux tax for thats for sure
I think this keeps them under the lux tax and also they should have options at the deadline

[bigfoot]

Interesting ... so with 14 players the Suns are barely over the lux tax threshold. Whose most likely to be moved to get under the cap?Br

Richards
O'Neale
Allen
Brooks

Suns should be able to obtain more draft capital by February.

[Saberestar]

Depth chart IMO:

PG Booker/Gillespie/Goodwin
SG Green/Allen/Brea*
SF Dunn/O'Neale/Hayes-Davis
PF Brooks/Oso/Fleming
C Williams/Maluach/Richards

[Saberestar]

Gambo:

So the Suns will have
Booker
Gillespie
Goodwin/Butler IF they sign Butler with those two competing for the third spot.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Read on Twitter

[lilfishi22]

Not a fan of the Goodwin signing. Why not bring in someone young with potential?

Yeah not an exciting signing, especially given his first run was disappointing despite low expectations. The positive is that he shot over 38% from 3 last season with the Lakers and that was one of his major weaknesses. Hopefully he can continue to build on it.

[Puff]

Not a fan of the Goodwin signing. Why not bring in someone young with potential?

Jesus Burn, he is only 26. A little experience could help. He upped his 3 point percentage to 38% last year with the Lakers and does not turn it over much. I just hope he doesn't take minutes from CG. Gillespie is 26 as well.

[lilfishi22]

Gambo:

So the Suns will have
Booker
Gillespie
Goodwin/Butler IF they sign Butler with those two competing for the third spot.

Pretty shallow considering all 3 guys behind Book are probably closer to 3rd stringers than first guard off the bench/starter in emergency level players.

[BobbieL]

Interesting ... so with 14 players the Suns are barely over the lux tax threshold. Whose most likely to be moved to get under the cap?Br

Richards
O'Neale
Allen
Brooks

Suns should be able to obtain more draft capital by February.

At least they aren't over the apron levels. The lux tax is not as costly for Ishbia - not that I care about his money. More than with the rules about being below apron levels to keep longer term flexibility

As for the deadline - Richards has the highest odds. I would put them at 95% he is traded
Next up - probably Brooks, followed by O'Neale and lastly Allen. I just don't see a market for Allen - owed 55m for three years

[lilfishi22]

For the record, I'm unexcited about these last couple of signings but I also wasn't unrealistic with what was to be expected. I don't think a Giddey miracle was ever on the table and I get the concept of not bringing in the old guards and preferring to take a gamble on younger or in their prime guys like Goodwin.

It's what it is

[dremill24]

Interesting ... so with 14 players the Suns are barely over the lux tax threshold. Whose most likely to be moved to get under the cap?Br

Richards
O'Neale
Allen
Brooks

Suns should be able to obtain more draft capital by February.

At least they aren't over the apron levels. The lux tax is not as costly for Ishbia - not that I care about his money. More than with the rules about being below apron levels to keep longer term flexibility

As for the deadline - Richards has the highest odds. I would put them at 95% he is traded
Next up - probably Brooks, followed by O'Neale and lastly Allen. I just don't see a market for Allen - owed 55m for three years

The luxury tax threshold doesn't bring explicit roster-building restrictions but would be extremely costly, especially in the coming seasons. They've been in the tax for 3 seasons in a row, a 4th would make them repeaters and the payments rocket up. Then they need to be out for 2 consecutive seasons to reset the repeater status. Staying over now just delays that and makes the payments ridiculous a few years from now when they want to get better/more expensive. They should stay below the tax (they have until the end of season to get under).

[KdoubleDees23]

Depth chart IMO:

PG Booker/Gillespie/Goodwin
SG Green/Allen/Brea*
SF Dunn/O'Neale/Hayes-Davis
PF Brooks/Oso/Fleming
C Williams/Maluach/Richards

I have

Booker / Gillespie / Goodwin
Green / Allen / Butler
Brooks / O'Neale
Dunn / Hayes-Davis / Oso / Fleming
Williams / Richards / Maluach

Fun team that will hustle and no silent divas!

[bigfoot]

Interesting ... so with 14 players the Suns are barely over the lux tax threshold. Whose most likely to be moved to get under the cap?Br

Richards
O'Neale
Allen
Brooks

Suns should be able to obtain more draft capital by February.

At least they aren't over the apron levels. The lux tax is not as costly for Ishbia - not that I care about his money. More than with the rules about being below apron levels to keep longer term flexibility

As for the deadline - Richards has the highest odds. I would put them at 95% he is traded
Next up - probably Brooks, followed by O'Neale and lastly Allen. I just don't see a market for Allen - owed 55m for three years

Yeah Richards makes the most sense. Either move him to a team with a large enough trade exception or to a lux tax team in exchange for a $4M player. Get some draft capital and get under the lux tax and out of repeater territory

[bigfoot]

Depth chart IMO:

PG Booker/Gillespie/Goodwin
SG Green/Allen/Brea*
SF Dunn/O'Neale/Hayes-Davis
PF Brooks/Oso/Fleming
C Williams/Maluach/Richards

I have

Booker / Gillespie / Goodwin
Green / Allen / Butler
Brooks / O'Neale
Dunn / Hayes-Davis / Oso / Fleming
Williams / Richards / Maluach

Fun team that will hustle and no silent divas!

Book, Green, and Williams would seem to be the only locked in starters, maybe Brooks too. The competition for backup minutes and starting PF should be telling.

[Sunsdeuce]

Read on Twitter

So the profile the suns want is marginal NBA talent that gets waived multiple times/usually a throw in for trades as a cap filler by other teams.

We’ve been there, done that with Goodwin. He was kinda no good.

[Sunsdeuce]

Gambo:

So the Suns will have
Booker
Gillespie
Goodwin/Butler IF they sign Butler with those two competing for the third spot.

Pretty shallow considering all 3 guys behind Book are probably closer to 3rd stringers than first guard off the bench/starter in emergency level players.

3rd stringers is equivalent to career G-leaguers.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Actually I think the rotation becomes:

Green/ Gillespie/ Goodwin or Butler.
Booker/ Allen/ Brea.
Brooks/ Dunn/ O'neale.
Davis/ Fleming/ Ighodaro.
Williams/ Richards/ Maluach.

J Green as the PG because he's the much better ballhandler and driver, and he can't really shoot well yet, so putting him at SG wouldn't create any gravity. Also, Booker could excel in his natural role at SG and be an exceptional secondary playmaker.

Oso would be the 3rd rotation 4 because Maluach can hit the three. Fleming pairs with Richards as he's able to faceup and hit the three to compliment Richards as a non spacing center option.

[dremill24]

I find the debate about positions really tedious and largely pointless but if it's a conversation that must be had, Devin Booker is the "point guard" on this team. The offense will absolutely run through him. And though he isnt the highest level playmaker when compared to the top guys around the league, he is by FAR the most complete offensive hub and facilitator on this roster, and certainly still in the upper echelon of the league.

[PhxLax]

Depth chart IMO:

PG Booker/Gillespie/Goodwin
SG Green/Allen/Brea*
SF Dunn/O'Neale/Hayes-Davis
PF Brooks/Oso/Fleming
C Williams/Maluach/Richards

I have

Booker / Gillespie / Goodwin
Green / Allen / Butler
Brooks / O'Neale
Dunn / Hayes-Davis / Oso / Fleming
Williams / Richards / Maluach

Fun team that will hustle and no silent divas!

This is how I think it'll be looking like:

G: Green - Gillespie - Goodwin - Butler
G: Booker - Allen - Brea - Butler
F: Brooks - O'Neale - Hayes - Livers
F: Dunn - Ighodaro - Hayes - Fleming
C: Williams - Richards - Maluach - Huntley

*I'll go on record and say none of the rookies will be any good in year one. None will get significant burn.

*The center position scares me. Mark Williams is always hurt. Richards has shown nothing of value. Maluach is 3 years away from doing anything and is dangerously close to being Thabeet material.

[Sunsdeuce]

Actually I think the rotation becomes:

Green/ Gillespie/ Goodwin or Butler.
Booker/ Allen/ Brea.
Brooks/ Dunn/ O'neale.
Davis/ Fleming/ Ighodaro.
Williams/ Richards/ Maluach.

J Green as the PG because he's the much better ballhandler and driver, and he can't really shoot well yet, so putting him at SG wouldn't create any gravity. Also, Booker could excel in his natural role at SG and be an exceptional secondary playmaker.

Oso would be the 3rd rotation 4 because Maluach can hit the three. Fleming pairs with Richards as he's able to faceup and hit the three to compliment Richards as a non spacing center option.

You have a lot of faith in Hayes-Davis