Suns Impressively Navigated This Offseason

The Phoenix Suns did great with what they had over the summer.

Suns GM James Jones speaks with the press during a press conference at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on May 1, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns were again financially restricted in how they could improve their team over the course of the offseason, though general manager James Jones and the rest of his staff did a strong job of taking lemons and making lemonade.

Approaching the 2024-25 season, the Suns lead the NBA in the following financial categories (all numbers via Spotrac):

• Estimated salary spending ($220.4 million)
• Luxury tax bill ($188.4 million)
• Total money spent ($408.8 million)

Of course these figures can change depending on how the overall roster looks once the dust settles, though it's unlikely anything massive changes unless one of their top earners in Devin Booker, Bradley Beal or Kevin Durant departs.

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

Spotrac's Keith Smith said the Suns handled this offseason just about as best as they could.

"With the Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers resetting their rosters this offseason, Phoenix was this summer’s marquee second apron team. The Suns played 'Veteran Minimum Roulette' again, but this time around the approach seems to have been more mindful of what the roster needs.

"After experimenting for a season without a point guard, the Suns went out and got two really good veterans in Tyus Jones and Monte Morris. Jones was a surprise signing, but like Gary Trent Jr. with the Milwaukee Bucks, the player’s tepid market was the team’s gain. Jones should be the starting point guard for Phoenix and he’ll bring a layer of stability that the team was missing last season.

"Morris is coming off a somewhat lost year, after injuries wrecked the first half of his season. Still, Morris showed with the Minnesota Timberwolves that he’s still capable of being a high-end backup. With Jones and Morris, a position that was a problem last season is no longer an issue.

"Plumlee is replacing Drew Eubanks as Jusuf Nurkic’s backup. Because Plumlee is a solid screener and good passer, he’s a better fit for the Phoenix offense than Eubanks. Defensively, Plumlee won’t provide as much rim protection, but he’s a solid enough in the paint for backup minutes.

"Where the Suns got creative was with their re-signings. Josh Okogie got overpaid for this season, as Phoenix basically turned him into an $8.25 million walking trade exception. While we don’t like thinking about players as strictly a cap number, that feeling is lessened when they get about four times as much as expected to become one. And if he’s not traded, Okogie could re-earn his spot as a defensive-minded guard/wing for the Suns.

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

"Should any of the veterans fail, Phoenix can turn to rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro. Both players were targeted draft acquisitions. They are both raw offensively, but Dunn and Ighodaro are ready to contribute on defense right away, if necessary. And it’s not like the team needs more offense.

"Unlike last year, when the Suns had fill out almost the whole roster following the Bradley Beal trade, this summer was a bit more relaxed. Getting Jones and Morris for the minimum was a pair of steals. Plumlee should deliver surplus value on a minimum deal too. We’ll take a bit more of a wait-and-see approach with O’Neale and Okogie, because it feels like those stories are still developing. That’s especially true with Okogie.

"However, in another summer of minimums, re-signings and draft picks, James Jones and crew seem to have figured out this second apron thing better than a year ago."

We'll ultimately see how everything pans out over the course of the season, though the Suns are poised to again be major players thanks to strong work done by the front office.