PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns were once again financially limited in how they could improve their team this offseason, though general manager James Jones and the rest of his staff did a great job of taking lemons and making lemonade.

Heading into the 2024-25 season, the Suns lead the NBA in the following financial categories (all numbers (by Spotrac):

Of course, those numbers could change depending on how the roster looks once the dust settles, though it’s unlikely anything major will change unless one of their top earners, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal or Kevin Durant, leaves.

Still, the Suns managed to add some key pieces around their star trio this summer while retaining solid role players.

Spotrac’s Keith Smith said the Suns handled this offseason as best they could.

“With the Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers retooling their rosters this offseason, Phoenix was the go-to team for the second team of the summer. The Suns played “veteran minimum roulette” again, but this time the approach seemed to be more attentive to roster needs.

“After experiencing a season without a point guard, the Suns went after two very good veterans in Tyus Jones and Monte Morris. Jones was a surprise signing, but like Gary Trent Jr. with the Milwaukee Bucks, the lukewarm player market was a win for the team. Jones is expected to be Phoenix’s starting point guard and will provide a layer of stability that was missing last season.

“Morris is coming off a bit of a lost year, after injuries ruined the first half of his season. Still, Morris showed with the Minnesota Timberwolves that he’s still capable of being a top-tier backup. With Jones and Morris, a position that was a problem last season is no longer a problem.

“Plumlee replaces Drew Eubanks as Jusuf Nurkic’s backup. Because Plumlee is a good screener and passer, he’s a better fit for Phoenix’s offense than Eubanks. Defensively, Plumlee won’t provide as much protection at the basket, but he’s solid enough in the paint to play as a backup.

“The Suns have been creative in their re-signings. Josh Okogie was overpaid for this season, as Phoenix turned him into an $8.25 million trade exception. While we don’t like to think of players as just a salary cap number, that feeling is mitigated when they’re paid roughly four times more than they should be to become one. And if he’s not traded, Okogie could earn his place back as a guard/defensive end for the Suns.

“Okogie has to reclaim that spot, as Phoenix traded for Royce O’Neale last year and then re-signed him to a four-year, $42 million deal. That’s solid value for O’Neale as a 3&D wing. And he’s very tradeable on that contract, too.

“If one of the veterans fails, Phoenix can turn to rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro. Both players were targets in the draft. They’re both raw offensively, but Dunn and Ighodaro are ready to contribute immediately on defense if needed. And it’s not like the team needs more offense.

“Unlike last year, when the Suns had nearly their entire roster after the Bradley Beal trade, this summer has been a little more relaxed. Getting Jones and Morris for the minimum was a pair of steals. Plumlee should also provide added value on a minimum deal. We’re going to take a little more of a wait-and-see approach with O’Neale and Okogie, because it seems like those stories are still developing. That’s especially true for Okogie.

“However, after another summer of minimums, re-signings and draft picks, James Jones and his staff appear to have a better grasp on this second-rounder thing than they did a year ago.”

We’ll ultimately see how everything plays out over the course of the season, although the Suns are on the verge of becoming major players again thanks to the hard work put in by management.

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