2015 Phoenix Suns

Written by Paul Banks of the Washington Times, David Kay and Peter Christian of the The Sports Bank. Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
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Phoenix Suns (Last Year: 39-43)

2015-16 Projected Depth Chart:

C: Alex Len

PF: Markieff Morris/Marcus Morris

SF: P.J. Tucker/T.J. Warren/^Danny Granger

SG: Brandon Knight/Archie Goodwin/Reggie Bullock/#Jerel McNeal

PG: Eric Bledsoe

NBA Free Agents:

*PG-Brandon Knight (RFA)

SF-Gerald Green (UFA)

PF-Brandan Wright (UFA)

SG-Marcus Thornton (UFA)

C-Earl Barron (UFA)

^SF-Danny Granger (PO)

#SG-Jerel McNeal (TO)

2015-16 Team Salary: Approximately $42.4 million

NBA Offseason Team Needs:

1. Make a Splash in Free Agency: With somewhere in the ballpark of $25 million in cap space available, the Suns should hit the free agent market hard this summer. Their ideal target would be a scoring wing since Gerald Green is a free agent and P.J. Tucker is more of a glue guy. If Phoenix isn’t sold on Alex Len being its big man of the future (and shouldn’t be), the club could also make a run at a starting center.

2. Extend Knight?: Before being dealt to Phoenix, Brandon Knight was having an all-star-caliber season in Milwaukee. The Suns gave up some young assets in order to acquire Knight, who is due for a big pay raise this summer. He is a restricted free agent, so the Suns can match any offer sheet he signs with another team. It will likely cost Phoenix more than $10 million per year to extend Knight, and that is a decision the team must mull over before July.

3. Backup Big: With Brandan Wright a free agent and Alex Len the lone big man on the roster, the Suns need to find another center. If they don’t make a run at a marquee free agent big man, they should have a plan B to find a more than capable backup.