Suns offseason primer: Eric Gordon, Frank Vogel and the Big Three
Trading for a trio of true superstars is not supposed to result in a limp 4-0 first-round playoff exit. But here we are.
After Sunday night’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 2023-24 NBA season for the Phoenix Suns – who were supposed to be a “super team” – has come to an ugly end. Never once getting close to the presumed sum of their parts, disjointed performances, turnover problems, athleticism disadvantages and roster imbalances led to an early departure for the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference.
Phoenix’s 49-33 regular season record, which was supposed to be below what they would prove to be capable of when the playoffs rolled around, turned out to be the high point. At no point was the season much of a fun one for their fanbase, not compared to what was imagined. And so now for the team’s brain trust comes the tough task of accepting failure for the squad they put together without admitting defeat for the idea behind it.
Not helped by an improved Western Conference, the Suns were nevertheless supposed to challenge for the NBA Finals when they added Bradley Beal in a needle-moving trade with the Washington Wizards last June, four months after adding the Hall-of-Famer Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets. Such moves were supposed to be so impactful as to generate discussions about fairness, equity and collusion, not about whether they could steal a game from the Wolves before skulking home.
Nevertheless, it has all happened now, and from the minute the season ends, it is time to start looking forward. Here follows a look at the Phoenix Suns’ roster and spending heading into the 2024 NBA offseason.
State of the roster and offseason options
How the new CBA affects them
Free agent: Josh Okogie
Free agent: Drew Eubanks
Free agent: Damion Lee
Player option: $2,845,342
It was expected that Lee would be able to provide a veteran scoring and shooting option from the wing for a good Phoenix team, just as he had done in 2022-23, and in the four seasons prior for the Golden State Warriors. Unfortunately, he missed the entire campaign through injury.
This in turn makes it more likely that he exercises his player option and takes the guaranteed money that comes with it, rather than entering the uncertainty of the market off the back of a nothing year. If he does so, that should be fine. But with the margins so tight, a salary-dump trade is possible if Lee is once again unable to meaningfully contribute.
Free agent: Eric Gordon
Free agent: Royce O'Neale
2024-25 SALARY SITUATION
Players rostered: 11, including four player options
Two-way players: 0
Guaranteed salaries: $194,080,190
Non-guaranteed salaries: $11,812,991
Total salary: $205,893,181
Projected 2024/25 salary cap amount: $141,000,000
Salary cap space: Zero
Projected 2024/25 luxury tax threshold: $171,345,000
Luxury tax space: Zero
Projected 2024/25 first apron threshold: $178,655,000
First apron space: Zero
Projected 2024/25 second apron threshold: $189,486,000
Second apron space: Likely zero
Spending options:
Taxpayer mid-level exception, second apron permitting
Cameron Payne trade exception – $6,500,000 (expires 11th July 2024)
Isaiah Todd trade exception – $1,836,986 (expires 27th September 2024)
Toumani Camara trade exception – $1,119,563 (expires 27th September 2024)
The big question: Frank Vogel
Kevin Durant
Bradley Beal
Devin Booker
Jusuf Nurkic
Grayson Allen
Eric Gordon
Royce O'Neale
Josh Okogie
Drew Eubanks
Nassir Little
Bol Bol
David Roddy
2024-25 salary: $2,847,240
Remaining salary guaranteed: $7,679,006 through 2025-26
Additional notes:
2025-26 salary is a team option at $4,831,766
Thaddeus Young
Ish Wainright
Isaiah Thomas
Damion Lee
Saben Lee
Udoka Azubuike
