Suns Mailbag: Nurkic, Team Hierarchy, and More

What are some of the biggest questions about the Suns in the home stretch of the offseason?

Apr 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (20) argues a call against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter during game two of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- The 2024-25 NBA season is rapidly approaching. With that, the Phoenix Suns are just about nine weeks out from opening their first training camp under freshly minted head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Despite bringing in Budenholzer, the majority of roster moves that were made were to adjust for fit and to improve around the margins - save for perhaps the recent acquisition of Tyus Jones.

The overall reception of the offseason from various angles have happened to be positive despite the largely tempered changes.

With that, we will do yet another mailbag where we will answer pressing questions among the fanbase as we quickly approach the regular season in October:

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Q: Most overrated move of the Suns' offseason?

A: It's hard to gauge what move was truly not as great as the outside perceived it, but if I were to choose one, it would likely be the signing of Monte Morris.

That isn't to say Morris can't or won't make an impact for this rendition of the Suns - that path just got substantially more complicated with the signing of Jones, however.

Morris still figures to have a defined second-unit role and will be vital to rectifying some truly poor turnover numbers the team complied last season.

Otherwise, the moves Phoenix made were either met with appropriate responses, were undervalued, or were understood as transactions that were made to increase flexibility moving forward.

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Q: If the Suns were to move Nurkic do you think they want a C in return or get a PF like Portis or Dorian Finney-Smith?

A: There isn't a clear-cut answer here, as Nurkic's value isn't currently high enough to get a player of the caliber of those listed.

Now, if Nurkic is able to reinvent himself and become a consistent three-point threat, conversations would likely be had by front offices, as a rebuilding team would essentially be inheriting a market-value expiring contract that could be more than a sunk cost.

The bigger question is - should the Suns even consider moving Nurkic if he can do his best effort to emulate Brook Lopez this season?

I'd be inclined to say it would be best to hang on to Nurkic, but if the Suns were set on an upgrade - it would very likely be for a versatile big man/wing - think Jonathan Isaac (could be unrealistic, just an example).

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Q: Who is the Suns' number one option going into the season?

A: We won't truly know until the regular season opens up, but Kevin Durant is probably the safe bet.

Devin Booker is the Suns' franchise player and is without a shadow of doubt a superstar in the NBA, but Durant still has a good amount left in the tank as arguably the premier scorer in the game.

Much has been made about Durant's inconsistent role - and it feels like coach Budenholzer could be the one to find a happy medium between getting Durant the touches he requires without putting too much on his shoulders going into his age-36 season.

Booker making significant sacrifices during this Olympic run for Team USA also should be a signifier that he is willing to do whatever necessary to win no matter what competition it is.

My feeling is it will be a 1A/1B arrangement, but Durant will probably get more shots on a game-to-game basis in a vacuum.

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Q: Who is the most likely to win an award from the Suns this season?

A: There are two awards that could be in play - 6th man of the year and coach of the year.

Grayson Allen is widely presumed to be moving to the bench this season after starting all but 8 appearances over the prior three.

He could be an under-the-radar pick, but as Suns fans saw in 2023-24, Allen has the propensity to be a flamethrower scorer, much like Malik Monk of the Sacramento Kings - but with much more efficient figures.

Allen's game is perfectly tailored for the sixth-man role, and he really could put together yet another quality season in the Valley.

Budenholzer comes into Phoenix as a two-time coach of the year - and this year could make it three for the 2021 NBA champion.

The coach of the year award is usually reserved for either a coach of a team that significantly overachieves or simply dominates the competition from start to finish in the regular season.

The Suns could end up overlapping into both, as the O/U win total according to FanDuel is 46.5 - which simply shows fans, pundits, and even Vegas aren't looking at the Suns in the same light as previously.

Phoenix should be able to shoot past that total, and it isn't totally delusional to believe they can win 55+ with some good fortune when it comes to health.