The Phoenix Suns are one of several NBA teams with an open roster spot, as they have 14 players on standard contracts. With the Suns well over the luxury tax and having a bill of over $66 million, it makes no sense for them not to add another player.
NBA Rumors: Upcoming Phoenix Suns Roster Transfer and Who Are the Leading Candidates for Veteran Big Man
So who might Phoenix need?
According to John Gambadaro of Arizona Sports 98.7, these won’t be veterans Mike Muscala Or Patty mills.
Muscala is not a player the Suns are interested in. https://t.co/SpXL0Rm8CS
– John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) February 28, 2024
Muscala reached a buyout agreement with the Detroit Pistons on February 28. The 33-year-old big man will become an unrestricted free agent on Friday.
Phoenix has several players who can play either four or five. So it makes sense that the Suns aren’t interested because they have a bigger need in the backcourt.
Phoenix has five healthy guards, with Damion Lee sidelined for the entire season. The Suns also need a true point guard on their roster. Leaving Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Grayson Allen, And Eric Gordon to occupy the position.
Booker has been fantastic in this area. Beal and Allen have done a good job, even though both are better suited not to play.
However, Beal and Gordon are currently dealing with injuries. Beal missed his fifth straight game in the Suns’ win last night against the Houston Rockets with a left hamstring injury. There is no word on his status for Saturday’s home game against the Rockets.
Gordon has now missed the last two games with a groin injury. It is considered questionable for Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, Mills was officially renounced last night by the Atlanta Hawks. Mills appeared in 19 games last season, averaging 11 minutes per game.
Mills is capable of playing the one and the two. He is also a career 39% shooter from beyond the arc.
Still, it makes sense that the Suns aren’t interested in Mills, as Gambadaro said.
A lot of people ask this, instead of answering everyone individually I’ll do it here. The Suns will not pursue Patty Mills. https://t.co/ZRe3GmPnFX
– John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) February 29, 2024
Mills is 35 years old and hasn’t been a rotation player this past and final season, even though he’s been on good teams. He’s not a good defender either.
Saban Lee, candidate for the final spot on the Suns roster
Although Gambardo doesn’t think the Suns will be interested in Mills or Muscala, he did offer a player to fill the last spot on the roster. Gambardo tweeted that there is a “very high” chance that the Suns decide to convert Saben Lee two-way contract to a standard agreement.
Lee has appeared in 38 games for Phoenix over the past two seasons, including 15 this year. Lee averaged 5.2 points and 2.2 assists, although he compiled a .397/.308/.739 shooting line. He scored in double figures six times and recorded double-digit assists once with the Suns.
Lee has 125 games of NBA experience, including eight starts. The speedy 6-2 point guard excels at getting to the rim and the free throw line. He’s also an elite distributor, although he has turnover issues. Lee is also an excellent defender, and although he struggles from beyond the arc, he makes over 36% of his three shots from the corner.
Boston Celtics not interested in Muscala
The Boston Celtics are not expected to sign Muscala, who played in 20 games for the Celtics last season, according to Brian Robb from Masslive.
With several suitors appearing interested in Muscala, it’s difficult to predict a meeting in Boston at this point unless the big man is determined to get the best chance possible at winning a ring. Several Eastern Conference teams are dealing with injuries to key players, which could give Muscala a chance to play off the bench for a team like the [Philadelphia] 76ers or potentially the [New York] The Knicks, among others.
Boston wouldn’t be able to offer regular minutes as long as the team is healthy, and they also added more depth already at the trade deadline with Xavier Tillman. However, Muscala’s skillset would likely still be welcome as insurance for Boston’s team’s last spot, as he provides far more shooting than the rest of Boston’s big backups (Luc Kornet, Xavier Tillman) in the event of injury to Al Horford Or Kristaps Porzingis. Muscala has also praised his experience in Boston in past interviews.
Other news
- Atlanta officially filled its open roster created by waiving Mills by converting Trent Forrest two-way agreement to a standard contract. Forrest is averaging 2.0 points and 2.1 assists per 10 minutes in 20 appearances. He appeared in 133 career games in the NBA.
- Marcus Morris Sr. agreed to a buyout with the San Antonio Spurs and was officially renounced. He will receive the waiver before Friday night’s deadline for free agents to be eligible for the playoffs. Morris will be barred from signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns.
- Knicks Center Isaiah Hartenstein earned bonus money in the Knicks’ loss to the Golden State Warriors last night. Hartenstein contributed six points and grabbed six rebounds in 20 minutes. While the 25-year-old center only played 20 minutes, he surpassed 1,350 minutes this season, triggering a $350,000 bonus.
With the bonus, Hartenstein is now guaranteed to earn around $8.5 million. He stands to earn an additional $950,000 in likely bonuses, increasing his total salary by approximately $9.5 million.
Hartenstein will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Knicks hold Hartenstein’s Early Bird rights, meaning they can offer him a multi-year contract, even if they are limited to offering him $16 million per season.
- Knicks forward OG Anunoby has been cleared to do some on-court work but is still not making any contact, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and other media members Thursday.
OG Anunoby has been cleared for field work, but still has no contact. Thibodeau said he was cleared today, but he hasn’t done anything yet. https://t.co/gb1VWoWFKK
– Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 29, 2024
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