Phoenix Suns: Standing pat during Free Agency was the smart move

The Phoenix Suns played it smart by not signing Blake Griffin or Paul Millsap via Free Agency

The Phoenix Suns were in the running for both Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap during the 2017 NBA Free Agency period. With Griffin re-signing in Los Angles and Millsap heading to Denver, it would seem like Phoenix was a big free agency loser. But this isn’t the case; the Suns dodged a bullet in free agency.

Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap are both outstanding players. Griffin is younger, more talented, and injury-prone, but he’s one of the best players in the NBA when healthy. He’s an athletic power forward that can dominate any opposing player with a combination of skills and athleticism that few have ever possessed. He’s an underrated passer that didn’t get to show off his skills with Chris Paul dominating the ball. If he stays healthy in Los Angles, they will be happy that they threw millions of dollars his way.

But that’s a big if.

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Paul Millsap isn’t as talented as Griffin, but he’s much more dependable. Even at an older age, Millsap is one of the best players at his position and is still in his prime. He’s nearing the end of his prime, so signing him to a four or five year contract would’ve been risky. The Nuggets signed him to a three-year deal with the last year being a team option. This was a great contract for both sides and he’ll fit in perfectly in Denver.

Although it would’ve been nice for the Phoenix Suns to acquire a star power forward, they will now focus their attention on the players that they already have on their roster. The Western Conference is stacked and the Suns are years away from being a contender, so it wouldn’t have been best to mortgage some of the future to sneak into the playoffs.

They’re in the middle of a rebuild and need to see this thing through. Robert Sarver is one of the worst owners in professional sports and could pull the plug on the rebuild at any moment because of his lack of patience and incompetency, which could cripple the franchise.

For the Suns sake, hopefully he’ll do the right thing for once by keeping his mouth shut and just paying the bills.

The Suns drafted two power forwards in the first round of last year’s draft. They selected Dragan Bender with the fourth overall pick and Marquese Chriss with the eighth overall pick. Bender was injured and ineffective last season, but this wasn’t too surprising. He’s a few years away from being a key member of an NBA team. He needs to add weight to his frame and continue improving by getting minutes.

Bender will not improve on the bench, he needs real playing time. Chriss was a starter for most of his rookie year. He was terrible towards the beginning of the year, but made some major improvements throughout the season. Chriss is more of an athlete than a basketball player right now, but his potential is endless.

Bender and Chriss are more versatile than most power forwards. They have the ability to play on the floor at the same time. Once Bender fills out his frame, his best position might be as a center. He has stretch five abilities on offense and can block shots on defense. This type of player is a hot commodity in today’s NBA and is often considered a unicorn.

Bender is even skilled enough to play as a small forward at times. He won’t be able to defend elite small forwards, but he’s mobile enough to switch onto any player and make them work hard to get around him. This is all you can ask for out of a 7-foot athlete. Chriss isn’t as versatile, but he could be a small ball center at times.

The Phoenix Suns should embrace their youth movement and give Bender and Chriss as much playing time as possible. There’s a chance that these two players won’t play well together, which is something that the Suns will want to know. But, they both have immense upside and position versatility, which could help them succeed on the court at the same time.

Signing Blake Griffin or Paul Millsap would’ve made headlines for a Suns team that has been irrelevant for years. But this would’ve messed with their youth movement. Neither of these stars fit in with their timeline and both would’ve taken away key minutes from Bender and Chriss.

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Phoenix Suns fans may be disappointment that they missed out on key free agents and look like a Western Conference cellar team for the foreseeable future. But there’s a bright light at the end of the tunnel, and if the Suns are patient enough, they could become a powerhouse when Golden State’s reign of terror comes to an end.

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