Phoenix Suns 2020 Free Agent Targets

The Suns are rising like a Phoenix! Get it? But seriously, the future is bright and the future is now. After about a decade of misery, recent events have made fans optimistic. That 8-0 Bubble definitely helped and it opened eyes across the league. The Valley Boys are coming. Devin Booker made his first of many All-Star games last season, Deandre Ayton isn’t too far away from one himself and they have so many shooters that the Oprah meme comes to mind. All the opposing defenders get one.

Sure, they have a ways to go but they are knocking on the door to the playoffs with hopes to get in this coming season. That starts with the draft and free agency. As of right now, Phoenix will have the tenth pick and a projected $18.9 million to spend as well as the Mid-Level Exception ($9.25 million) and Bi-Annual Exception ($3.62 million).

Let’s take a look at what the Suns could do in free agency and some players they could possibly ink to some deals. Note – They could go a lot of ways and I’m just making a short list.

1 – Keep Their Own

Continuity needs to factor in after all the turnover the last few seasons and they have some guys that contributed last season who will be on the market here. Jevon Carter and Dario Saric are set to be restricted free agents. Cam Payne has a team option. Aron Baynes will be an unrestricted free agent. The first three all played a crucial role in the “Cinderella Bubble Run” and Baynes played a huge factor in the growth of the team and stepped up in a big way when Ayton was suspended early in the season.

2 – Danilo Gallinari

Gallinari was teammates last season with CP3 and is friends with Devin. The team could use a proven shooter to spread the floor, add extra scoring punch and open things up even more in the middle for Ayton. This move makes a lot of sense all around.

3 – Jerami Grant

He can guard multiple positions, shoot the three ball and would be a good mentor for guys like Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson. Jerami went deep in the playoffs with the Nuggets too so he brings experience of what it’s like where the Suns aim to go. James Jones has shown he likes long two-way forwards and Grant is exactly that.

4 – Jae Crowder

Another long, two-way forward that can shoot the three and has playoff experience. He went to the Finals with the Miami Heat and has a very strong work ethic. Some people question if how he played this year and in the postseason can continue because it was better than what he’d offered in recent years but the gamble is worth it, especially on a short-term deal. If his defensive intensity does keep up along with the three-point accuracy, you put that next to guys like Bridges and Cam to help out Booker and Ayton and this team makes a jump.

5 – Bryn Forbes

One of the biggest weaknesses this team has is a scorer off the bench for when Booker sits. Forbes can shoot and he can score, answering that big question mark for the Suns. He was on a Spurs team that was loaded with guards that seemed to take turns on who went off which night but in Phoenix, he’d have a set role and could be even better than he’s been.

6 – Meyers Leonard

If Baynes leaves, they will need to get a backup center. Aron is burly, can do some work down low, protect the rim a bit and shoot the long ball. Leonard can do all that as well, some not as good but he’s passable at all of that and is a better shooter. He likely wouldn’t command that big of a contract and would be a pretty good replacement.