The NBA is finally back, and the Phoenix Suns are still grasping onto a playoff spot. With new replacement changes in place, the Suns may do some hunting.
Finally, the NBA is back. After months of waiting and hoping for a chance of a continued season, commissioner Adam Silver announced that the NBA will be returning in late July. But things are a lot more different. 22 teams will be playing at a special hub in Orlando, part of the NBA’s focus on a relatively pandemic-free NBA experience. The strategy has allowed an extra few teams to finally get another chance at a playoff spot. The new playoff experience is unorthodox to say the least, but one of those teams is the Phoenix Suns.
This means the Suns are finally able to have a sniff at the playoffs, and there is a slight chance that they can make it. Not a high enough chance, but still, it’s something.
But, as part of these new changes and the new playoff experience, the NBA has decided to expand the current rosters to 17 players, up from the initial 15. This obviously is to cater to injured players and players who may test positive to COVID-19. This means some of these teams can fill in a roster spot, and one of those teams is Phoenix.
Several players are eligible, including those who played at least once during the season, and those who didn’t. These players must not be on an international contract, meaning someone like Nikola Mirotic or Greg Monroe, is out of the picture.
This means the Suns are able to choose and offer a contract to some pretty decent free agents available. This would be perfect for the Suns considering their obvious X-Factor, Kelly Oubre Jr., has been announced to miss the whole season due to the recovery of his torn meniscus. Immediately, this opens up a whole bucket load full of signings that would boost the Suns’ chances of a playoffs berth.
And, we’re going to take a look at some of the eligible candidates, who the Suns should consider heading into the new 22-team format in Orlando.
Let’s get into it, shall we?