The Phoenix Suns 2022-23 NBA season ended at the hands of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the NBA champion Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets eliminated Phoenix in six games in the second round of the postseason. The Suns gave the Nuggets a run for their money, as they were the only team in the 2023 postseason to take Denver to six games, but it was still evident that the team as currently constructed was not a championship squad.

So, the Phoenix Suns shook up their roster with a major trade. The Suns sent a trade package highlighted by Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards in exchange for star guard Bradley Beal. Phoenix now has arguably the best big three in the NBA in Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Beal.

Beal was the Suns' biggest off-season acquisition, but he wasn't their only acquisition. They also added Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Gordon, Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe, and Blazers big man Drew Eubanks in free agency, among others. All three of those names project to be in the running for rotation minutes with the Suns in the 2023-2024 season.

Despite all of the good moves that the Phoenix Suns have made so far this summer, they haven't had a flawless off-season by any means. One big mistake that they made in free agency has resulted in them being very light in depth at one important position. With all of that said, let's look at one big mistake that the Phoenix Suns made in NBA free agency:

1 big mistake by Suns in 2023 NBA free agency

Article Continues Below
More Phoenix Suns News
San Antonio Spurs point guard Chris Paul (3) looks on during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center.
NBA rumors: Chris Paul reunion with Suns or Clippers is a possibilityTroy Finnegan ·
Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Footprint Center
Suns’ Bradley Beal trade buzz gets reality check from Jake FischerZachary Weinberger ·
Khaman Maluach stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the tenth pick by the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
Rich Paul told Mat Ishbia he’d steer Khaman Maluach to SunsMalik Brown ·
Khaman Maluach in a Suns jersey smiling with general manager Brian Gregory smiling next to him.
Why Khaman Maluach ‘fits in exactly’ with new Suns cultureHayden Cilley ·
May 14, 2025; Chicago, Il, USA; Jase Richardson talks to the media during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine at Marriott Marquis Chicago.
Orlando Magic’s Jase Richardson headlines 5 biggest steals of 2025 NBA Draft Round 1Rishav Bhat ·
Phoenix Suns general manager Brian Gregory during an introductory press conference at the Verizon 5g Performance Center.
Suns trade up to No. 31 with Timberwolves draft dealAlex House ·

Not signing a point guard early in free agency after Chris Paul's departure

Trading Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards in the Bradley Beal trade was the right move. Beal is both far younger and better than Paul at this stage of their careers.

But after trading away Paul, the Suns are extremely light on point guard depth. If the season began today, floor general Cameron Payne — who has little experience as a starting point guard in the NBA — would likely get the starting nod. Payne is a quality NBA point guard but is a score-first one at that. So the Suns would have been wise to add another point guard to their roster early in free agency before the market dried up. But over one week into free agency, the Suns have yet to sign a point guard.

One name in particular who made a lot of sense for the Suns as a free agent target was veteran point guard Derrick Rose, but he has already signed a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. Rose certainly is no longer the MVP-caliber player he was yesteryear in his heyday with the Chicago Bulls, but he's still a talented scorer and playmaker. The primary reason that Rose didn't receive consistent playing time for the Knicks during the 2022-23 NBA season was that they were stacked at the floor general position with Jalen Brunson and Immanuel Quickley — it wasn't because Rose wasn't good enough to be in a rotation.

At this juncture, only time will tell if the Phoenix Suns will stand pat with their current roster or decide to add more players via free agency. But what's already abundantly clear is that the Suns should have been much more aggressive in pursuing a point guard early on in free agency after trading Chris Paul.