After signing former Utah Jazz center Udoka Azubuike to a two-way contract over the weekend, the Phoenix Suns may not be finished adding to the fringes of their roster, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic makes mention of the team's interest in adding former UAB center Trey Jemison on a two-way contract.
Whether the Suns have retained interest in adding the 2023 All-CUSA and two-time CUSA All-Defensive selection after adding a 6-foot-10 and 280-pound behemoth in Azubuike is unclear. Rankin's wording could very well be indicative of former interest, or merely an attempt to hedge his bet about who would receive the Suns' final two-way contract — if anyone — while revealing a bit of insider information.
Still vacationing. Still working.
Udoka Azibuike agreed to 2-way with Phoenix Suns, sources confirm to @azcentral.
Can have three 2-way guys. Saben Lee on one. Sources told The Republic this summer Trey Jemison, who was on Suns summer league team, was on #Suns radar for 2-way.
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) August 1, 2023
Frankly, as the biggest questions facing Phoenix ahead of the 2023-24 season are defense and depth, Jemison should still be on the Suns' radar if he's not.
While Azubuike is surprisingly springy for a player his size, the powerfully built Jemison has even better vertical explosiveness at 7-foot-0 and 260 pounds. Though more or less a traditional pick-and-roll lob threat and dunker spot finisher on the offensive end, the tenacious mentality that Jemison plays with at all times stands out. This is particularly true in light of a postseason that saw the intensity of star center Deandre Ayton questioned when he went up against two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
Averaging no fewer than 1.5 blocks per game for the UAB Blazers over the past three seasons, Jemison only averaged 0.9 blocks per 36 minutes for Phoenix in the 2023 NBA Summer League. However, he still played staunch interior defense, allowing him to post a defensive rating of 97.1.
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