2017 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.
All other e-mail, including advertising and link proposals, send to: [email protected]

Phoenix Suns (Last Year: 24-58)

2017-18 Projected Depth Chart:

C: Tyson Chandler/*Alex Len/*Alan Williams

PF: Marquese Chriss/Dragan Bender

SF: T.J. Warren/Jared Dudley/Derrick Jones Jr.

SG: Devin Booker/Leandro Barbosa

PG: Eric Bledsoe/Brandon Knight/Tyler Ulis

NBA Free Agents:

*C-Alex Len (RFA)

*C-Alan Williams (RFA)

SG-Elijah Millsap (UFA)

2017-18 Team Salary: Approximately $69.9 million

NBA Offseason Team Needs:

1. Stick to the Script: The Suns have landed to key cogs in their re-building effort the past two NBA Drafts in Devin Booker and Marquese Chriss – the jury is still out on Dragan Bender. Phoenix has been fairly smart in not blowing its cap space on overpriced free agents and needs to keep that trend going this offseason. The Suns have enough flexibility to bring in a free agent, but needs to tread carefully, especially since they will add another young talented player with the fourth-overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

2. Shop Knight: Brandon Knight is due nearly $44 million over the next three years, which might make his contact difficult to move. However, he has fallen out of favor in Phoenix, and if the Suns can find someone to take his contract on without it hurting them, they need to pursue that deal.

3. How Much is Len Worth?: Alex Len is a restricted free agent, and with the insane contracts big men received last summer, he is due for a nice pay raise. The Suns have the right to match any offer sheet he signs, but they will have to seriously weigh their options if some team throws a $15 million-per-year deal Len’s way.