The Phoenix Suns fell way short of expectations during the 2023-24 season. The Bradley Beal trade was meant to get the Suns to the upper-echelon of contending teams, but instead, they fell flat on their faces with a 49-win, six-seed finish that ended with them winning a grand total of zero games in the 2024 NBA playoffs. This offseason, the Suns have an opportunity to improve the team under the watch of new head coach Mike Budenholzer.

One of the moves the Suns made in free agency was to sign Mason Plumlee to fill the backup center role; in turn, Phoenix let Drew Eubanks walk in free agency after he declined his player option. Thought to be a split born out of mutual interest, Eubanks cleared the air on what really transpired behind the scenes before he signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Utah Jazz.

“The interest was always there for me to return (to Phoenix). The notion of it being a ‘mutual split’ is just factually false. There were a lot of conversations about me coming back this next year from the moment the season ended and into free agency,” Eubanks said, per Duane Rankin of AZ Central.

However, the deal that Drew Eubanks signed with the Jazz is more expensive than anything the Suns could offer. Phoenix, being a team neck-deep in the second tax apron, could not use any portion of the taxpayer mid-level exception. Given their financial constraints, the best they could offer was a minimum deal, as they do not have Eubanks' Bird rights. But in the end, the Suns went in a different direction, and Eubanks adjusted accordingly.

“At the end of the day, there were other opportunities and I had to make the best decision for myself and my family. Loved my year in Phoenix,” Eubanks added.

Drew Eubanks' lone season with the Suns — how did it go?

Drew Eubanks emerged as one of the Suns' most trusted bench players during the 2023-24 season. Eubanks played in 75 games last year for the Suns and mostly backed up Jusuf Nurkic, starting in just six games as an injury replacement.

Eubanks put up 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds on 60.1 percent shooting from the field, and he provided a bit of a bruising presence on the interior and a tireless screener. His rebounding left a bit to be desired, but as a roll man, he had good feel for the game where he could be involved in the offense in many ways.

The 27-year old big man isn't expected to be flashy on the court, but he gets the job done in a small role. Alas, the Suns may have been on the losing end of the bargain with regards to their decision to bring Eubanks in last season.

The Suns are not in a position to be hemorrhaging draft picks needlessly, what with them being out multiple picks already due to the win-now trades they have made in recent years. But the league caught the Suns approaching Eubanks before it was allowed in last year's free agency, and as a result, they lost a 2024 second-round pick, which could have given them a lottery ticket for a potential rotation player.

At the very least, the Suns will always have that odd chapter between Eubanks and Isaiah Stewart. Stewart notoriously punched Eubanks squarely on the face after the two got into it verbally. Eubanks, for what it's worth, never backs down from a fight, and he has a tendency to get underneath his opponents' skin. The Jazz certainly got themselves a helpful backup for John Collins and Walker Kessler.

Assessing Phoenix's roster

Bringing Mason Plumlee in may not be a needle mover, but Plumlee would give the Suns some additional playmaking chops and a better rebounder off the bench behind Jusuf Nurkic. Plumlee should also continue to get back on track as he puts his MCL sprain even further into the rearview mirror.

But other than the Plumlee move, the Suns' roster has remained mostly unchanged. They brought in Monte Morris as a backup point guard, which is a very solid move on the veteran's minimum, but overall, the Suns will be hoping that Mike Budenholzer will be able to make the best out of the league's most expensive roster.

A full season of Royce O'Neale should help, while the Suns are hoping that rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro could make immediate impacts for the team. Perhaps some better continuity among the Suns' big three would do wonders for their title-chasing hopes.