The Official 2025 Offseason Thread #4 Free Agency Opens!

[KdoubleDees23]

Everything I've read tells me that 2026 should be a deep draft with 3-4 candidates already looking to be strong contenders for the #1 pick, a little too early for sure but this is not at all like the 2025 draft class where there were no doubts that Cooper was not going to be the top selection.

With a few candidates opting to return for another year in school the 2026 should be a lot deeper than the 2025 draft class.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45585873/2026-nba-mock-draft-four-players-no-1-pick-options-peterson-dybantsa-boozer-ament

Suns don't draft well. Get players and not rely on draft. Make some trades.

The Suns have rebuilt their scouting department and the last two years their drafts have been good. Under James Jones it was bad for the most part.

Who have we drafted good?

[KdoubleDees23]

Also - Looks like Kuminga is Bulls or Kings no more Suns

https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-jonathan-kuminga-3-paths-bulls-kings-sign-and-trades?utm_source=pushly

[sunsfan1o1]

Doesn’t really matter. If Suns don’t make the playoffs we will keep our lottery pick or get the Wizards lottery pick. Wizards are likely going to be worse than the Suns.

Nope. '26 pick was gone in Nurkic trade.

That’s right. Oh well. We can always get a 26 pick in a trade of Richards or another future pick or whatever. Teams give away picks all the time.

[Sunsdeuce]

Can we get some positive vibes/news around this team at all? Ishbia has a lot of damage control he needs to be doing right now.

The Phoenix Suns have fired an employee who is suing the team for discrimination, harassment and retaliation, ESPN has learned. The employee, Gene Traylor, who served as the Suns' director of safety, security and risk management and who joined the team in January 2023, was fired on Friday.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45844519/employee-suing-suns-retaliation-fired-organization

[lilfishi22]

Had we done the trade we probably take Fleming at #23 this year then we wouldn't need to trade the #36 pick and give away two additional second round picks to the Wolves to move up to grab Fleming.

I thought the Pelicans were idiots for trading away their 2026 pick but now hearing this news I think Ishibia/Ott are the bigger idiots for not taking a chance to fleece Joe Dumars.

When we were on the clock at #10 we got multiple trade offers BECAUSE how valuable Maluach is for other teams too.

When you have the opportunity to get a player that was 5 in your big board you take him and called it a day. He was projected to go somewhere from 4-10 (mostly from #6 to #9) and it was our favorite player available BY FAR.

An unprotected pick is always nice but it's a lottery ticket. The Pelicans will not tank AT ALL and they will win games at the end of the RS just to make his pick worse than expected. And if they go to the playoffs what?

The West is wide open with so many good teams. Only the Jazz has a bad roster IMO, but I the Pelicans aren't worse than the Kings, Grizzlies and Blazers.

Then put some money on Pelicans as their O/U is worse than any of these three teams, even ours by 1 win.

At minimum, we would've turned zero first round pick in 2026 into a lottery pick in 2026

[lilfishi22]

Rejecting unprotected pick from a projected bottom 5-6 team for that doesn't look smart. Should've taken even a slim chance for a franchise player with how bad our picks situation is next few years.

Especially if we supposedly had Mark Williams deal done. I would've taken a punt on next year's pretty strong draft with a potentially higher pick.

Oh well

Had we done the trade we probably take Fleming at #23 this year then we wouldn't need to trade the #36 pick and give away two additional second round picks to the Wolves to move up to grab Fleming.

I thought the Pelicans were idiots for trading away their 2026 pick but now hearing this news I think Ishibia/Ott are the bigger idiots for not taking a chance to fleece Joe Dumars.

Not saying Maluach is destined to be a bust but to me, it's about getting shots up and hope a few hit and Maluach isn't the type of prospect I'm willing to forgo these opportunities for. I get we were high on KM so fair enough they kept the pick given he dropped to us but yeah, I would've preferred to get that 2026 pick

[lilfishi22]

If the Pels pick lands at the top, that's one thing, but next year isn't supposed to be a good draft.

Maybe we draft Fleming at 23 had this deal gone down?
We need youth to start building now. Not to bank on a team to be really bad next season in hopes to draft a player with the upside of.....Maluach.

Everything I've read tells me that 2026 should be a deep draft with 3-4 candidates already looking to be strong contenders for the #1 pick, a little too early for sure but this is not at all like the 2025 draft class where there were no doubts that Cooper was not going to be the top selection.

With a few candidates opting to return for another year in school the 2026 should be a lot deeper than the 2025 draft class.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45585873/2026-nba-mock-draft-four-players-no-1-pick-options-peterson-dybantsa-boozer-ament

Maybe it's the 2027 draft that's not good. Otherwise, wherever I read it was misinformed.
Either way, it's a crapshoot. Pels aren't going to try to be bad this year.

Yeah 2027 is projected to stink but 2026 is going to be legit...and we have no pick next season

[lilfishi22]

Also - Looks like Kuminga is Bulls or Kings no more Suns

https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-jonathan-kuminga-3-paths-bulls-kings-sign-and-trades?utm_source=pushly

Hallelujah

[lilfishi22]

Doesn’t really matter. If Suns don’t make the playoffs we will keep our lottery pick or get the Wizards lottery pick. Wizards are likely going to be worse than the Suns.

Nope. '26 pick was gone in Nurkic trade.

That’s right. Oh well. We can always get a 26 pick in a trade of Richards or another future pick or whatever. Teams give away picks all the time.

Nah we can't. We have no future picks to trade nor is Richards worth a FRP

[Mr Puddles]

When we were on the clock at #10 we got multiple trade offers BECAUSE how valuable Maluach is for other teams too.

When you have the opportunity to get a player that was 5 in your big board you take him and called it a day. He was projected to go somewhere from 4-10 (mostly from #6 to #9) and it was our favorite player available BY FAR.

An unprotected pick is always nice but it's a lottery ticket. The Pelicans will not tank AT ALL and they will win games at the end of the RS just to make his pick worse than expected. And if they go to the playoffs what?

The West is wide open with so many good teams. Only the Jazz has a bad roster IMO, but I the Pelicans aren't worse than the Kings, Grizzlies and Blazers.

Then put some money on Pelicans as their O/U is worse than any of these three teams, even ours by 1 win.

At minimum, we would've turned zero first round pick in 2026 into a lottery pick in 2026

Also we would have gotten the 23rd pick in this year's draft.

Even if the Pelicans exceed all expectations and somehow the 2026 pick ended up being the 14th pick in the draft, trading 10 for 14 & 23 is still a pretty fair outcome.

That 23rd pick being included would have protected the downside of the trade, while the pick being unprotected would have given us unlimited upside.

That's a gamble you take 10/10 times considering the position the Suns are in. I'd get it if the 2021 Suns would pass on the pelicans offer, but the 2025 Suns need to take upside risks when they can get them considering our bleak opportunities for improving.

[lilfishi22]

Then put some money on Pelicans as their O/U is worse than any of these three teams, even ours by 1 win.

At minimum, we would've turned zero first round pick in 2026 into a lottery pick in 2026

Also we would have gotten the 23rd pick in this year's draft.

Even if the Pelicans exceed all expectations and somehow the 2026 pick ended up being the 14th pick in the draft, trading 10 for 14 & 23 is still a pretty fair outcome.

That 23rd pick being included would have protected the downside of the trade, while the pick being unprotected would have given us unlimited upside.

That's a gamble you take 10/10 times considering the position the Suns are in. I'd get it if the 2021 Suns would pass on the pelicans offer, but the 2025 Suns need to take upside risks when they can get them considering our bleak opportunities for improving.

If we had control of our pick in 2026, I'd be more inclined to keep the #10 but even then it's pretty tempting. But given we don't even have the 2026 pick and we had the opportunity to draft in the first round in 2025 and 2026, yeah I think that would've been my preferred path

[garrick]

Doesn’t really matter. If Suns don’t make the playoffs we will keep our lottery pick or get the Wizards lottery pick. Wizards are likely going to be worse than the Suns.

Nope. '26 pick was gone in Nurkic trade.

I just read this on a site. Is this not accurate about 2026 1st

WAS will receive the more favorable of its 2026 1st round pick, protected for selections 9-30, and PHX's 2026 1st round pick

https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Phoenix-Suns/23/draft-picks

More favorable of PHX and WAS 1-8 to WAS [or neither to WAS if WAS not conveyable];
two most favorable of (i) less favorable of PHX and WAS 1-8 [or (ii) PHX if WAS not conveyable], (ii) MEM and (iii) ORL to MEM then least favorable of all to CHA
(via WAS swap for PHX; via MEM swap of ORL for PHX or WAS; via MEM swap for PHX, WAS or ORL; via PHX to CHA)

The Phoenix Suns traded center Jusuf Nurkic and a 2026 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic and a 2026 second-round pick, the teams announced Thursday night.

The 7-foot Nurkic hasn't played for the Suns since Jan. 7. He started 23 games this season before being moved to the bench in early January.


He told reporters last month that he and coach Mike Budenholzer "don't have a relationship."

"It's hard to understand why," Nurkic said last month about Budenholzer moving him to the bench. "As you know, I try to do whatever they want from me. I play my role or whatever, but at the end of the day, it's the NBA."

Editor's Picks

Sources: Lakers move for Hornets center Williams
173dDave McMenamin

Which superstar is on the move next? Biggest surprises? NBA trade deadline reactions
171dNBA insiders

Grading major NBA trades: Did the Cavs get better? Which teams missed out?
170dKevin Pelton
Nurkic is averaging 8.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He was acquired by Phoenix from the Portland Trail Blazers in a three-team trade before the 2023-24 season, starting 76 games that year and averaging 10.9 points and 11.0 rebounds.

Next year is the final season of the four-year, $70 million deal the 30-year-old signed with Portland. Nurkic is making $18.1 million this season.

Martin, 29, had spent all six of his years in the league with Charlotte after they drafted him with the No. 36 pick in 2019 and was one of the few constants for a Hornets roster that has seen continual change in recent years.

Martin profiles as a strong point-of-attack defender as a 6-foot-6 wing, routinely taking on the opposing team's best scorer. Martin has struggled as a shooter, however, averaging 31.9% on 3s for his career.

Martin signed a four-year deal with Charlotte in 2022; he has one year and around $8.6 million left on the deal after this season.

Micic, a EuroLeague star who came over to the NBA two years ago, is in the final guaranteed year of his deal. He has an $8 million team option for next season.

Phoenix traded its unprotected 2031 first round pick to the Utah Jazz last month for three picks of significantly lesser value -- what will be Cleveland's pick in 2025, and the lesser of Cleveland, Minnesota and Utah's picks in both 2027 and 2029.

As a result of trading the 2026 pick in this deal, Phoenix now can trade picks in 2028, 2029 or 2030.

ESPN's Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.

No because the least favorable of the Was Phx pick goes to CHA by way of the Nurkic trade.

At the time I had the impression that the 2026 pick was one of the late 1sts we were getting from Utah but I was wrong and had I known we were giving up a potential lottery pick I would have been even more opposed to the deal and it looks like Nurkic was traded for Collin Sexton so we could have offloaded him this season.

I will say it again but every transaction this front office makes is a series of blunders and self owns because of this misguided notion that we are good enough to compete now instead of opting for a full rebuild. We've given away too many future assets by trying to become competitive so soon & hopefully Ishbia realizes the only way we can compete is to try to trade Booker for as many future first round picks as possible.

[TeamTragic]

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/s/rRB7sSWPsS

[Stein] The Golden State Warriors’ best contract offer to Jonathan Kuminga has been a 2-year $40 million deal.

We are still in the mix per Stein.

[lilfishi22]

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/s/rRB7sSWPsS

[Stein] The Golden State Warriors’ best contract offer to Jonathan Kuminga has been a 2-year $40 million deal.

We are still in the mix per Stein.

Unless GSW relents on the FRP demand, I don't see how we can be in the mix

Sacramento and Phoenix still regarded as the most determined suitors, but Golden State is said to want a first-round pick in any sign-and-trade deal. The Suns do not have an available first-round pick to offer.

[lilfishi22]

Nope. '26 pick was gone in Nurkic trade.

I just read this on a site. Is this not accurate about 2026 1st

WAS will receive the more favorable of its 2026 1st round pick, protected for selections 9-30, and PHX's 2026 1st round pick

https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Phoenix-Suns/23/draft-picks

More favorable of PHX and WAS 1-8 to WAS [or neither to WAS if WAS not conveyable];
two most favorable of (i) less favorable of PHX and WAS 1-8 [or (ii) PHX if WAS not conveyable], (ii) MEM and (iii) ORL to MEM then least favorable of all to CHA
(via WAS swap for PHX; via MEM swap of ORL for PHX or WAS; via MEM swap for PHX, WAS or ORL; via PHX to CHA)

The Phoenix Suns traded center Jusuf Nurkic and a 2026 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic and a 2026 second-round pick, the teams announced Thursday night.

The 7-foot Nurkic hasn't played for the Suns since Jan. 7. He started 23 games this season before being moved to the bench in early January.


He told reporters last month that he and coach Mike Budenholzer "don't have a relationship."

"It's hard to understand why," Nurkic said last month about Budenholzer moving him to the bench. "As you know, I try to do whatever they want from me. I play my role or whatever, but at the end of the day, it's the NBA."

Editor's Picks

Sources: Lakers move for Hornets center Williams
173dDave McMenamin

Which superstar is on the move next? Biggest surprises? NBA trade deadline reactions
171dNBA insiders

Grading major NBA trades: Did the Cavs get better? Which teams missed out?
170dKevin Pelton
Nurkic is averaging 8.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He was acquired by Phoenix from the Portland Trail Blazers in a three-team trade before the 2023-24 season, starting 76 games that year and averaging 10.9 points and 11.0 rebounds.

Next year is the final season of the four-year, $70 million deal the 30-year-old signed with Portland. Nurkic is making $18.1 million this season.

Martin, 29, had spent all six of his years in the league with Charlotte after they drafted him with the No. 36 pick in 2019 and was one of the few constants for a Hornets roster that has seen continual change in recent years.

Martin profiles as a strong point-of-attack defender as a 6-foot-6 wing, routinely taking on the opposing team's best scorer. Martin has struggled as a shooter, however, averaging 31.9% on 3s for his career.

Martin signed a four-year deal with Charlotte in 2022; he has one year and around $8.6 million left on the deal after this season.

Micic, a EuroLeague star who came over to the NBA two years ago, is in the final guaranteed year of his deal. He has an $8 million team option for next season.

Phoenix traded its unprotected 2031 first round pick to the Utah Jazz last month for three picks of significantly lesser value -- what will be Cleveland's pick in 2025, and the lesser of Cleveland, Minnesota and Utah's picks in both 2027 and 2029.

As a result of trading the 2026 pick in this deal, Phoenix now can trade picks in 2028, 2029 or 2030.

ESPN's Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.

No because the least favorable of the Was Phx pick goes to CHA by way of the Nurkic trade.

At the time I had the impression that the 2026 pick was one of the late 1sts we were getting from Utah but I was wrong and had I known we were giving up a potential lottery pick I would have been even more opposed to the deal and it looks like Nurkic was traded for Collin Sexton so we could have offloaded him this season.

I will say it again but every transaction this front office makes is a series of blunders and self owns because of this misguided notion that we are good enough to compete now instead of opting for a full rebuild. We've given away too many future assets by trying to become competitive so soon & hopefully Ishbia realizes the only way we can compete is to try to trade Booker for as many future first round picks as possible.

My impression is they know what they know want to do but they don't know how best to do it which has led to a string of subpar deals.

[sunsfan1o1]

Nope. '26 pick was gone in Nurkic trade.

That’s right. Oh well. We can always get a 26 pick in a trade of Richards or another future pick or whatever. Teams give away picks all the time.

Nah we can't. We have no future picks to trade nor is Richards worth a FRP

Yes we can. A hopeful playoff team who needs a center or with injuries will give up a 26 pick for Allen, O’Neale or Richards.
No one really cares about draft picks until it’s the draft and even then they’re not like they used to be. Unless you’re a super small market like Utah or OKC.

[lilfishi22]

That’s right. Oh well. We can always get a 26 pick in a trade of Richards or another future pick or whatever. Teams give away picks all the time.

Nah we can't. We have no future picks to trade nor is Richards worth a FRP

Yes we can. A hopeful playoff team who needs a center or with injuries will give up a 26 pick for Allen, O’Neale or Richards.
No one really cares about draft picks until it’s the draft and even then they’re not like they used to be. Unless you’re a super small market like Utah or OKC.

You really think Richards or Grayson is worth a FRP?

[sunsfan1o1]

Nah we can't. We have no future picks to trade nor is Richards worth a FRP

Yes we can. A hopeful playoff team who needs a center or with injuries will give up a 26 pick for Allen, O’Neale or Richards.
No one really cares about draft picks until it’s the draft and even then they’re not like they used to be. Unless you’re a super small market like Utah or OKC.

You really think Richards or Grayson is worth a FRP?

What I think doesn’t matter. What matters is what a team needs by the trade deadline. But I do think a team would give up a protected first for those guys. Especially a team with multiple first rd picks in 2026.

[sunsbum]

Can we get some positive vibes/news around this team at all? Ishbia has a lot of damage control he needs to be doing right now.

The Phoenix Suns have fired an employee who is suing the team for discrimination, harassment and retaliation, ESPN has learned. The employee, Gene Traylor, who served as the Suns' director of safety, security and risk management and who joined the team in January 2023, was fired on Friday.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45844519/employee-suing-suns-retaliation-fired-organization

I’m very positive about this team as are a lot of people, it’s just you bro. You’re literally the biggest wet blanket on this board.

[lilfishi22]

Yes we can. A hopeful playoff team who needs a center or with injuries will give up a 26 pick for Allen, O’Neale or Richards.
No one really cares about draft picks until it’s the draft and even then they’re not like they used to be. Unless you’re a super small market like Utah or OKC.

You really think Richards or Grayson is worth a FRP?

What I think doesn’t matter. What matters is what a team needs by the trade deadline. But I do think a team would give up a protected first for those guys. Especially a team with multiple first rd picks in 2026.

Yeah I don't see that happening but it's free to dream