The Phoenix Suns may have been shattered from within.
The Suns flamed out in the playoffs for the second straight season. They fired coach Monty Williams, who led the team to great success but also may have been the reason they did not win.
New Phoenix owner Mat Ishbia might see it that way. It is why he has been aggressive in his first three months as majority owner, trading beloved forwards Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson and four unprotected first-round picks for Kevin Durant.
The Suns did not win a championship with Durant. Now, they have an important offseason in which they must build a team around him and superstar guard Devin Booker.
Phoenix is expected to make changes. Starting point guard Chris Paul is rumored to be the team's starter next season, but he also has been in trade talk. Starting center Deandre Ayton drew disgust from Suns fans, who believed he should have been more aggressive in the playoffs.
With a new coach and changes implemented by Ishbia, the Suns will look different next season. The question is, how much?
ClutchPoints has three free agents who the Suns could re-sign to help their roster for the 2023-24 campaign.
Torrey Craig
The Suns picked up Craig essentially for peanuts in March 2021. He went on to be a key piece to the team's run to the NBA Finals and a trusted player by Williams.
Craig signed with the Indiana Pacers in August of that year but was traded back to the Suns in February. He brought energy, defense and an athletic presence to Phoenix on the team's way to the Finals but did not have the same impact in 2022.
This postseason, Craig started in the Suns' first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers. He was terrific, scoring at least 15 points in the first three games.
Craig was pretty quiet for the rest of the playoffs. Williams changed his rotation most of the playoff run, which saw Craig play fewer than five minutes in Games 3 through 5 of the Denver series.
That was likely no fault of Craig's. He stepped up when he was inserted into the starting lineup after wing Josh Okogie (below) started the final 25 games of the regular season.
He is 32 years old, so he might not be able to be the same player from an athletic standpoint. But Craig has been valuable for these Suns and seemed to earn the trust of Durant during the playoffs.
“We need him to continue to be confident to shoot the ball,” Durant said after Game 2 of the Clippers series. “He understands that team, like I said, (is) [going to] play a little gimmicky and throw a big on him, or just leave him wide open or give him a three. So you got to make them pay and I think he's been doing a great job of that thus far.”
That might keep Craig around.
Josh Okogie
Okogie turned out to be a pleasant surprise for the Suns, who signed him after he played his first four years with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 6-foot-4 wing has great lower body strength and used it to play physically against top offensive players. He started one game for the Suns in December and by February, became a regular starter with Booker, Paul and Ayton.
Williams decided not to play Okogie as a starter in the Clippers series. Still, he had a big role overall in the playoffs, playing 17.5 minutes per game.
Okogie gives the Suns a defender who can challenge top guards. However, he is limited since he is shorter and can't contest forwards who are three to four inches taller.
That was the reason why he did not play as much against the Clippers. Still, it helps to have someone who can wreak havoc and make things difficult for opposing guards. He could prove to be a valuable bench piece in that role if the Suns retain him.
Damion Lee
The Suns want to be a team that has championship personnel. Lee has won a title and knows his role.
Phoenix's backup guard had the third-best 3-point percentage (43.1 percent) in the NBA. He signed with the Suns after he won the 2022 NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors. He thanked media members for allowing him to be himself and said he would loves Phoenix.
“I love the guys on the team, but whatever happens, happens,” Lee said.
Lee was a nominee for the NBA's Teammate of the Year award. He was engaged on the sideline even though his role wavered throughout the season.
His shooting is something that could benefit the Suns a lot next season. Phoenix needs to find a way to get offense outside of Booker and Durant, and Lee is a player who can fit in.
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