Can the Phoenix Suns afford to spend more money on players? Not really, since the franchise has been beyond the second apron limit for months now, placing them on the line to incur severe penalties under the new CBA guidelines. Alongside the dilemma of not being able to acquire new players, they were also expected to lose Yusuf Nurkic due to not being able to pay him for the next two seasons. In light of this, the franchise is now willing to tweak its approach to give themselves some breathing room and allow Nurkic to stay.

Earlier today, renowned NBA reporter Shams Charania broke the news that the Phoenix side has decided to wave off Nassir Little (‘Stretch and Waive’ his contract- more on this later) and EJ Liddell. Not only does Little’s exit provide an open roster spot, but it also prevents the franchise from handing out the $21 million they would owe him over the next three seasons.

An open roster spot allows the Suns to experiment with their newest acquisition: Oso Ighodaro. According to reports, especially one from Shams Charania, the franchise is very enthusiastic and “high” about the 6-foot-11 rookie. After all, in his senior year at Marquette, Ighodaro averaged 13.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists over 36 games. While the player wasn’t anything close to efficient on the 3p side, his field goal accuracy stood at 62.4% for 4 college seasons, alongside a 61.6% free throw clip.

In light of these stats, a team-up between Oso Ighodaro and other stars like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Jusuf Nurkic may be the thing that allows the Suns to gain back its position as a Championship contender.

The Phoenix Suns have a total cap allocation of $235.9 million over the 2024-25 NBA season. This is the second-highest for the season, right behind the $241.8 million by the Minnesota Timberwolves. By spending an estimated $221.8 on salaries, Kevin Durant and Co have gone way beyond the second apron limit. As a result, not only will they have to spend over $197.3 million simply on the tax, but they will also face restrictions in terms of trades and acquisitions.

Jusuf Nurkic commands the 4th-highest salary on the team, set to earn $37 million in the next two seasons. While cutting ties with him would save the Suns a lot of money, the 10.9 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists he averaged last season made him a value pick.

While the franchise will wave Nasir Little, he is still on the books to be paid over $21 million. Fortunately, the Suns will break this down into not 3 but 7 years by making use of the ‘Stretch and Waive’ contract. This will allow them to spend only $3.1 million, instead of $7 million, annually. Fortunately, the Suns were able to move quickly with the ‘Stretch and Waive’ option, as not doing so before the August 31 deadline would’ve caused them to pay Little in full!

The savings in turn may be poured onto Nurkic himself, preventing him from leaving anytime soon. However, despite the brief relief, he does not seem to be too far away from the chopping block. However, if the Suns wish to resolve their financial situation before the offseason’s conclusion, they may also have to send some other names away too.

Except for Jusuf Nurkic, who else can be traded from the Phoenix Suns?

Jusuf Nurkic still has two years left on his contract. Therefore, the Suns may not choose to put him off yet and save the dreadful goodbyes for two years later. For now, however, the franchise needs some more breathing room and a couple of the team players can help them get it. Despite Bol Bol’s prowess on the court, his position on the Suns lineup is not entirely certain to be a viable one.

While the player performed exceptionally as a rotation player, he lacked in terms of defense and only averaged 5.2 points during his recent NBA season. Set to earn $2.08 million next season, his exit would provide some relief on the luxury tax, but not much.

Grayson Allen would be a mixed-bag candidate in terms of a trade. After all, despite signing on to a 4-year, $70 million contract, the player performed quite poorly in the playoffs. At the same time, however, he sustained an ankle injury, while the player led the NBA for three-point shooting with a 46.1% success rate.

Having signed a minimum-level deal, which prevents him from being traded until December 14, Monte Morris is not going anywhere for now. This would leave the Suns with Royce O’Neale. After all, the 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists he’s averaging may not justify the four-year, $42 million contract that he signed recently.

While the rest of them are not out of danger, Phoenix Suns fans can rejoice in the fact that Kevin Durant is not leaving anytime soon. After all, in the words of Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein himself, “Everyone’s really happy, and I think we’re gonna have a really, really good year.”

In regards to Nurkic himself, it will be answered in due course whether his previous performance would allow him to have a second season in the white, orange, and purple colorways of the Western Conference franchise.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.