Will James Jones get some new talent to fill the void?
The Phoenix Suns are looking to contend. Their core stars, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, have just come off a massive Olympic gold medal run that James Jones hopes to replicate in the coming season. However, there are two issues that plagued their front office, aging and financial flexibility. Those two problems may have just gotten solved but it came at the expense of Nassir Little and EJ Lidell.
The Suns waived both Nassir Little and EJ Lidell, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. These two forwards were let go such that James Jones along with the rest of the front office could have more flexibility in terms of their in-season signings. Furthermore, the Kevin Durant and Devin Booker-led squad will stretch out the remaining $22 million on Little’s three-year deal.
Why did the Suns front office do this, you ask? Well, they are eyeing two key young guns who are likely going to need Nassir Little and EJ Lidell’s roster spot but at a cheaper price. Oso Ighodaro and Ryan Dunn will now be given more opportunities as members of the main Suns rotation. They will be given minutes to play alongside the A-squad in preparation for the coming season.
More importantly, Jones and the Suns front office could also make roster moves in the coming season. These are the luxuries afforded to them because they have now removed Little’s contract. As for Lidell and Little, both of them are now set to enter NBA Free Agency.
What does the Suns’ rotation look like now?
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For starters, Josh Okogie moves up the depth chart quite a lot. With Dunn and Damion Lee’s day-to-day injuries along with Little gone, he likely becomes the third forward in the rotation. If he also does well in training camps, it is also likely that he will beat out Royce O’Neale for the secondary three or four spots.
Fan favorite Bol Bol also gets more opportunities to shine. Both Ighodaro and Dunn need time to get acclimated into the league. While that happens, the 7-footer who has savvy moves can definitely be fielded more as they fix their rotational issues. Furthermore, Durant could be playing the four spot more often rather than the five because of the freed-up rotational spot left by Little.
There are a lot of ramifications because of these moves. The most important part is that Jones along with the rest of the front office get the flexibility they need to build around the gold medal-winning duo.