The Phoenix Suns ended their season the same way as last year — a blowout loss. They have a talented roster but need to make some big changes.
With their season on the line, the Suns came out and laid a giant egg. They trailed by 30 at the end of the first half, drawing boos from their home crowd, before eventually seeing their season end with a 125-100 loss. The Nuggets are headed to the Western Conference Finals, the Suns are headed back to the drawing board.
Devin Booker was the best player on the court for a good portion of this postseason and they still have Kevin Durant. But Chris Paul has become a question mark and they clearly need to rebuild their depth after sending so many players out to acquire Durant. That may mean retaining some key contributors but also cutting loose some players who weren't working out.
These three Phoenix Suns definitely won't be back:
3. Terrence Ross
Ross joined the Suns in February after being bought out by the Orlando Magic and, on paper, looked like a tremendous pick-up as added wing depth with his floor spacing and microwave scoring ability. However, Ross was only lightly used down the stretch of the regular season and shot just 34.7 percent from beyond the arc. He only appeared in six postseason games, for a total of 69 minutes, and similarly struggled — shooting 6-of-22 on 3-pointers.
It's possible the Suns may have interest in bringing Ross back but given how he was used, he may prefer to try and find another playoff team with more minutes and more shot attempts available for him.
2. Josh Okogie
Defensive versatility made Okogie a key part of the Suns' rotation all season long, especially as injuries warped their intended rotations. He appeared in 72 games, starting 26, and averaged 7.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in just under 20 minutes per game.
However, Okogie's inability to threaten the defense from the perimeter and space the floor was exposed against Denver. He shot under 40 percent from the field during the regular season and hit just 33.5 percent of his 3s. In the postseason, he made just 2-of-14 from beyond the arc and his playing time shrank a bit.
The Suns will need similar defensive players next season but will likely see if they can find someone who helps a bit more at the other end. Torrey Craig doesn't have Okogie's size and strength but he played a somewhat similar role and was a much more effective shooter. Both are free agents and Craig seems like he would be a higher priority to re-sign.
1. Deandre Ayton
Deandre Ayton tried to leave the Phoenix Suns last season. After public disagreements with Monty Williams and the Suns declining to offer him a max extension he signed an offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers. However, the Suns matched and, as a restricted free agent, he had to come back to Phoenix and try to make the best of it.
The Suns did their best to create offensive opportunities for him and he had some moments of primacy with Devin Booker out of the lineup with injuries. But while Ayton's shots and points per game went up, his field goal and 3-point percentages dropped sharply. In the playoffs, he again was on the bench and key moment. He did not seem happy about it and his teammates didn't seem happy with his effort level
The Suns matched his offer sheet last season because they didn't want to lose him for nothing and maybe thought they could still salvage the relationship. That moment seems to have passed and finding a value trade for him this summer should be a high priority.
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