After a relatively quiet start to the 2024 offseason, bringing back a few of their own free agents, signing a few outside options, making some trades, and adding a pair of interesting options in the draft, the Phoenix Suns finally arrived with the addition of Tyus Jones, the former Washington Wizards point guard who took a whole lot less money than expected to earn starting minutes as a contender.
Now granted, this signing does present questions, as the Suns now have three players who want to start in a backcourt that only fits two in Jones, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker, but even if Phoenix has to do some pretty serious staggering of their lineup in order to keep their Big 3 happy, the talent upgrade is undeniable, especially with the majority of the team's rotation from last season returning.
Not too shabby for a team with very little assets and a massively inflated payroll.
Grading the Suns free agency
Tyus Jones
Heading into the summer, Jones had two major goals as a free agent: finding a starting spot at point guard and getting paid accordingly.
By signing with the Suns on a one-year, $3.3 million contract, he accomplished the first option, even if it came at the expense of the second.
Discussing his signing on Instagram, Jones noted that while he was in high demand as a free agent, he and his agent decided that the Suns presented him with the best opportunity to not only play a large role but also start and then return to free agency next summer after (presumably) having another huge season on a more high-profile team.
Considering how much fans desperately wanted to see a traditional point guard lead the way for the Suns last season, or at least in a prominent rotational role should Devin Booker remain at the one, adding Jones to the mix makes all the sense in the world, even if it creates questions as to who will “play” what position in the starting lineup and how Phoenix will stagger their rotation to optimize their overall abilities.
Grade A+
Mason Plumlee
Before Jones came off the board, the Suns signed another ball handler in Mason Plumlee, the 7-foot center out of Duke who has famously good handles for a big man.
Move over, Jokic; there's a new point center on a Western Conference contender.
All jokes aside, the Suns really weren't a dominant team in the painted area for 48 minutes per game, with Jusif Nurkic having a down season by his previous standards in Portland and the trio of Bol Bol, Drew Eubanks, and Chimezie Metu largely playing at a replacement level save a few notable performances one way or another.
By adding Plumlee, the Suns now have a pair of proven pros on the roster who can man the five spot, with the potential to sprinkle in their younger player when appropriate. All things considered, that is a win on a sub-$4 million contract.
Grade B+
Monte Morris
Before Jones landed in Phoenix, the Suns' biggest guard addition was Monte Morris, the eighth-year pro who can play either guard spot as a sparkplug sixth man off the bench.
At the time, the addition felt solid enough as the Suns needed ball handlers who could jack up 3s when they aren't on-ball, but playing a serious role for the Suns, especially considering their relatively small backcourt, left more questions than answers.
With Jones now on the roster, however, Morris' addition feels a whole lot better, as he can now fill that sixth-man role coming off the bench and play a complementary role alongside any of the team's Big 3 without having to shoulder too much of the offense on his own.
Grade B
Re-signing Josh Okogie, Royce O'Neale
Though the Suns technically re-signed four of their players in free agency, to be fair from a grading standpoint, you really need to split them up into two different categories, as they were retained at two very different levels.
After playing very well for the Suns in 2023-24, bringing back Royce O'Neale on a four-year, $48 million contract felt like a borderline no-brainer, as the Suns can now keep him in their plans, likely coming off of the bench but potentially in the starting lineup while still being able to trade him away should Phoenix find an upgrade mid-season.
And as for Okogie? Well, his two-year, $16 million is practically a walking trade exception, with the team able to use him in the short-term as a plus-defensive stopper before eventually moving him for a more valuable short-term piece.
Considering the Suns effectively drafted his replacement twice over this year, it's safe to say Okogie's days are numbered.
Grade A
Re-signing Bol Bol, Damion Lee
If re-signing O'Neale and Okogie was all about optionality, then retaining Bol Bol and Damion Lee was about not losing solid talent for nothing,
In 2023-24, Bol and Lee were fringe rotation players for the Suns, with the former logging 13 minutes for Phoenix in the playoffs and the latter out of action entirely. While the opportunity for Lee specifically to take on a bigger role in 2024-25 is possible, as the team has to replace Eric Gordon on the wings, or not, neither signing moves the needle all that much.
Grade B-
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