The Phoenix Suns will be looking to add another guard in free agency, and there are a few specific names the team is looking at.
The Suns pulled off a blockbuster trade on Sunday with the Charlotte Hornets when they sent Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neal, and a future first-round pick for Miles Bridges and a pair of draft picks.
By moving out Allen in the deal, the team now needs to replace his shooting in the backcourt, and the Suns are said to be targeting several players in free agency, which kicks off June 30, to replace him.
Phoenix Suns Eyeing Several Guards in Free Agency
According to veteran Suns reporter John Gambadoro, the Suns have a wish list of players whom they will be looking at in free agency. They have roughly $6 million to spend on a guard, according to Gambadoro, who admits some of these players might price themselves out of the Suns’ spending range. But he believes they will try to sign one of them this summer.
“Ok the Suns are going to hit free agency looking for a fourth guard and can go up to $6 million as part of the taxpayer mid-level they can use. Here are 5 names with one wild card for who I expect they will be targeting. A couple of these guys may get 8-12 million and be priced out but again this is who I expect they will look at.
Luke Kennard
Kevin Huerter
Collin Sexton
Jordan Clarkson
De’Anthony Melton
Wild Card – Landry Shamet,” Gambadoro wrote on X.
Phoenix Suns Need to Replace Grayson Allen’s Shooting
While the Suns made the trade for Bridges because they wanted some more size in their frontcourt, they lost two excellent 3-point shooters when Allen and O’Neal were sent packing.
In Allen’s three seasons in Phoenix, he shot .410% from 3-point range, while O’Neal shot .403% from beyond the arc in his three seasons in Phoenix, so the team clearly needs to replace that lost long-range shooting.
Getting someone like Kennard, who led the NBA with a .478 3P% this past season for the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks, makes a lot of sense for the Suns in free agency.
We’ll see what the team ends up doing and if they even have the money necessary to sign one of these guards on their wish list in free agency, but it does seem like the Suns’ front office has a plan to replace what they lost when they traded away Allen and O’Neal.
The Suns made the playoffs this past season with a 45-37 record, which surprised a lot of analysts, many of whom expected the team to miss the playoffs after they traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets.
But the Suns had a very good season and showed that they are a team that is not to be counted out.
With Devin Booker still looking to win his first NBA Championship, look for the Suns’ front office to do everything it can this offseason to help improve the team’s roster.
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