The Phoenix Suns will have one open roster spot after veteran forward Thaddeus Young finalizes his deal early this week. According to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports, the Suns will have several options to fill the spot and are likely to do so.
Young agreed to join the Suns after being bought out by the Brooklyn Nets to help solidify their frontcourt depth.
Despite not having a regular role since 2018-19, Young will likely be fifth on the Suns’ big man depth chart behind starters Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic, along with reserves Royce O’Neal and Drew Eubanks. So, while he won’t play huge minutes, Young will likely see some action every game.
Young was productive in his 23 games, including six starts, for the Toronto Raptors this year. The 35-year-old produced 5.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 62.1% from the field in 15.2 minutes. He scored in double-figures four times and grabbed at least five rebounds on seven occassions.
Who Are The Suns Looking At?
While Bourguet said the Suns are looking at all areas, they probably desire a guard or wing.
Bourget did add that one of their targets, Delon Wright, is expected to sign with the Miami Heat. Bourguet said that they also had an interest in Danilo Gallinari. But he was crossed off the list following Young’s agreement to sign with the Suns. Gallinari eventually inked a deal with Milwaukee.
Moreover, Bourguet believes that Phoenix’s ideal targets are Cedi Osman and Otto Porter Jr. But both players are still under contract with the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz. And there hasn’t been a strong indication that either player will be bought out before March 1, the last date players are eligible to participate for a new team in the playoffs.
Osman isn’t having a great season. However, the 28-year-old forward has shot the ball efficiently the past two seasons, making over one trey a game while shooting 37% from deep.
Porter has yet to play since being traded by Toronto to Utah. The 30-year-old forward has only played 23 games over the last two seasons. However, Porter can still provide shooting, leadership, passing, and rebounding in limited minutes.
Other Possibilities?
If Porter or Osman don’t become available via the buyout market, Bourget believes the Suns will look at Danuel House Jr.
House spent the last year and a half with the Philadelphia 76ers before being sent to the Detroit Pistons at the trade deadline. The Pistons almost immediately waived House.
Like Porter and Osman, House is a versatile veteran who can play 2-through-4. The 30-year-old is strictly a 3-point shooter, though he is just a career 36% shooter from beyond the arc.
House struggled this season with the 76ers, though he did have moments when he received regular minutes. Overall, House averaged 4.2 points and 1.7 rebounds while posting a shooting slash line of .448/.300/.761 in 15 minutes over 34 appearances. He scored in double-figures four times.
Bourget also suggests that the Suns’ could promote point guard Saban Lee from his two-way deal.
Lee has seen sparse action this season with Phoenix but has played in 123 career NBA games, including eight starts. The 24-year-old averages 3.5 points and 1.1 assists in seven minutes a game over 13 appearances while shooting 41.9% from the field. He is more of a scorer than a true point guard but has shown the ability to be a decent distributor. Lee is also a quality on-ball defender.
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