The Phoenix Suns re-signed guard Damion Lee to a two-year minimum deal this offseason. He was not highly-relied on in the latter part of the 2022-23 season, but he has traits the Suns will need to win a championship this season.

Lee, who was an NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors in 2021-22, has experience from that run the Suns can rely on. He was often one of the biggest supporters on the team's bench this past season and said at the end of the year he would love to be back in Phoenix.

Amid a roster overhaul, the Suns kept Lee, who last season was the third-best 3-point shooter in the NBA by percentage (44.5). He could have been a valuable bench piece for Phoenix in the playoffs, but the team did not have a consistent rotation and Lee was not provided many opportunities to solidify himself.

That could change this season. New coach Frank Vogel has a lot of options to choose from on his bench. Lee's continuity with the team, championship experience and shooting will be valuable for the Suns in their quest for their first-ever NBA championship.

Lee's free agency analysis:

Strengths

Lee went undrafted in 2016 and has established himself since as an important role player. He earned significant playing time with the Warriors in the 2019-20 season and was valuable as a shooter and bench option for the team in its championship run.

The Suns had a deep roster in 2021-22 but lost some players, which led to their signing of Lee. He played a career-most 74 games this past season for the Suns and averaged 20.4 minutes per game.

Lee averaged 22.3 minutes per game in the Suns' first 59 games before he averaged just 12.7 minutes per contest over his last 15 games played. His role changed once the Suns changed their roster dramatically after they traded for Kevin Durant.

In the playoffs, Lee's role changed nearly every game. Coach Monty Williams did not play him in three games but also had him play 25 minutes in the team's Game 2 loss to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. Lee and other Suns players, including TJ Warren and Terrence Ross, did not seem to get a fair shake from Williams in the playoffs.

The Suns used rotations in the postseason they had not used at any point during the regular season. Some of that uncertainty is from the roster shake-up, but the Suns had 25 games at the end of the regular season in which they started wing Josh Okogie only to change the lineup entirely when the playoffs began.

Lee should get an opportunity to play into the rotation. Vogel is a championship coach and Lee has acknowledged his role player ability. If he can shoot the ball at a high clip, defend, communicate and help lead the Suns, he will have an opportunity to be a consistent rotation member this season.

Development

Damion Lee has exceeded expectations since he entered the NBA. A four-year college player, Lee is an NBA champion who has asserted himself as a valuable piece on a winning team.

His skills will be needed for the Suns in 2023-24. Lee is an excellent communicator and is vocal on the bench.

He is a player Phoenix can rely on for support. The Suns are going all-in for a championship this season, and Lee and forward Kevin Durant are the only two players on the roster with championship experience.

Lee is a tough defender and will have to show he can compete to earn more minutes. Vogel is going to rely on tough players who buy into his scheme. Lee has the personality of a champion and can solidify a role if he produces on that end.

ClutchPoints pointed out the Suns have nine players on their roster who shot at least 35 percent from three this past season. Lee led the way and can stand out as a bench performer if he shoots well, competes and provides locker room leadership like he has shown.