Phoenix Suns: 5 potential free agency targets in 2018

Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images /
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Phoenix Suns
Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images /

Coming out of the draft with the No. 1 overall pick, the Phoenix Suns still have work to do in 2018 NBA free agency. Here are five potential targets.

It was a successful 2018 NBA Draft for the Phoenix Suns, who emerged with the No. 1 overall pick in Deandre Ayton, traded up to get Mikal Bridges at No. 10 and were able to steal Elie Okobo at No. 31. Even with George King giving the Suns four new rookies on the roster, this team still has work to do in 2018 NBA free agency.

General manager Ryan McDonough has emphasized the team will be aggressive in free agency, searching for established veterans who can also contribute on the court and help Phoenix get back to its winning ways. Point guard is a glaring need, and as ESPN‘s Zach Lowe writes, it’s almost guaranteed the Suns move swiftly to address this position at the onset of free agency.

According to Spotrac, Phoenix could free up to $21.2 million in “practical cap space,” though the contracts of Ayton, Bridges and Okobo will eat into that space. By renouncing the rights to unrestricted free agent Alex Len and restricted free agent Elfrid Payton — as the Arizona Republic‘s Scott Bordow reports the team will do — the Suns are currently looking at about $9.6 million in cap space.

The question is, as the Suns look for a starting point guard and try to upgrade at power forward with a stretch-4, which free agents will be on their radar? The trade market could widen McDonough’s sights, but for the time being, here’s a look at five potential free agent targets for the Phoenix Suns in 2018.

Honorable Mentions:

Aaron Gordon — A nice thought, but the max contract or sign-and-trade it’d take to land Gordon, a young but unproven 3-point shooter wouldn’t be worth it.

Milos Teodosic — The prospect of a flashy, pass-first point guard setting up Devin Booker, Josh Jackson, Ayton and Bridges is worth salivating over (and is reportedly a thing), but the Los Angeles Clippers would have to waive him after Teodosic exercised his player option. Also, the Suns defense would have zero hope of ever stopping anyone.

Patrick Beverley — Patrick Beverley vaults to the top of this list as the ideal backcourt complement to Booker if the Clippers don’t guarantee his non-guaranteed deal, but it seems more likely they’d hang onto him and try to move him before the trade deadline.

Jabari Parker — Meh. Parker’s youth and scoring upside makes him an attractive option on paper, but his injury history and status as a restricted free agent taints the whole picture. Just…meh.

Dante Exum — Another great defensive option, but he’s a restricted free agent (giving the Utah Jazz the power to match an offer) and he might not be worth the money it’d take to pry him away.

Darren Collison — A solid Plan C or Plan D if everything else falls through.