Suns Have No Shortage of Options to Upgrade Roster

After a disappointing end to the season, which free agents should the Phoenix Suns look to acquire to better equip for next season?

The Phoenix Suns have a big offseason coming up. After acquiring Kevin Durant back in February, the expectations for the Suns returned to championship-or-bust status.

However, Phoenix was dominated by the Denver Nuggets in the second round as the season ended in disappointment. That's why it's critical the Suns capitalize on improving the team this upcoming offseason.

What are the necessary moves the Suns need to make to improve their team come next season to be more equipped for the playoffs?

Kyrie Irving was linked to the Suns prior to being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, and his prior relationship with Durant through their time in Brooklyn could potentially make him the perfect piece to the puzzle.

"Still, talent trumps all in the NBA, and few players are as talented as Irving,” Valley of the Suns’ Tyler Watts wrote. “If the Suns want a point guard upgrade over Chris Paul, Kyrie is likely the best player available. Would KD welcome a reunion in Phoenix after everything that happened with the Nets? Irving could be looking to leave Dallas after their abysmal end to the season, and the Suns were rumored to be interested before the Mavs traded for the 6’2 guard."

This past season, Irving averaged 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Despite some of the off-court distractions that Irving brings to the table, he is still an elite basketball player that would make Phoenix arguably the most potent offense in the entire NBA.

The problem is that the Suns will most likely be forced to give Irving a max contract. While Irving’s skills are off the charts, he has not been particularly reliable as he has only played 89 games over the past two seasons.

Phoenix has also been linked to Fred VanVleet who compared to Irving should be a much cheaper option.

"VanVleet may be able to get Jalen Brunson-level dollars ($26 million per season), but his best path to a playoff contender could be to opt-in and extend. Under the incoming rules, VanVleet can sign an extension in July as part of a trade with a starting salary for 2024-25 as high as $32 million. That would open the door to a longer list of teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns or Brooklyn Nets," Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus wrote.

Feauring for the Toronto Raptors this past season, VanVleet averaged 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists. During the Raptors 2019 championship run, VanVleet proved to be a reliable point guard that the team could count on to hit big shots down the stretch. If on the Suns, he would take some of the offensive load away from Durant and Booker while he is also capable of playing off the ball.

The Miami Heat's Gabe Vincent has performed extremely well through these playoffs averaging a consistent 13.1 points and is now another name suggested to be on the Suns’ radar.

"If the Suns do end up trading away Chris Paul, Cameron Payne isn’t exactly a bad option at the point,” Clutch Points’ Jedd Pagaduan wrote. “Payne was the only one to show up during the Suns’ embarrassing Game 6 defeat to the Nuggets after all. But since the Suns need depth, acquiring Gabe Vincent to be their starting point guard — keeping Payne at his ideal role as a backup point guard — may be the shrewd move."

Phoenix certainly has a ton of options regarding trades and free agents so it will be interesting to see what direction they ultimately go in.