TITLE: Suns weigh fifth starting spot, outline key offseason dates, extend free-to-air TV pact
SLUG: suns-weigh-fifth-starter-key-dates-tv-extension
CONTENT:
First-year head coach Jordan Ott will open training camp next week with several pressing decisions, beginning with who will claim the final spot in the Phoenix Suns’ starting lineup.
Four positions appear locked in, according to The Arizona Republic: guard Devin Booker, newly acquired guard Jalen Green, forward Dillon Brooks and center Mark Williams. The fifth role is undecided.
Second-year wing Ryan Dunn is considered the front-runner, provided his offseason work has raised his three-point accuracy. Should Dunn’s perimeter shooting still lag, veteran forward Royce O’Neale offers a more established small-ball option. Forward/center Oso Ighodaro, entering his second season, could also be in the mix if Ott experiments with a two-big lineup.
Backcourt outlook
Phoenix is banking on a high-octane pairing of Booker and Green after last season’s Booker-Bradley Beal experiment fizzled. “We’re two people who know how to score the basketball… you’ve got to pick who you want to score tonight,” Green said during Summer League in Las Vegas, adding that both guards welcome double-teams and expect to play off each other effectively.
Rookie evaluations and workload management
Ott and his staff will also gauge whether first-year players Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea can contribute immediately, while monitoring Booker’s workload after heavy minutes in recent seasons.
Key dates
The Suns will hold media day on Sept. 24 and open camp on Sept. 25. The team departs for a three-game preseason trip to China running Oct. 10-12.
Television agreement extended
Owner Mat Ishbia has reached a two-year extension with Gray Media to continue airing Suns and Phoenix Mercury games free over the air throughout Arizona. ESPN reports the pact is valued at more than $30 million per year. Ishbia said local ratings “skyrocketed” after the franchise moved to the free model, calling the arrangement “a win-win” for fans and the organization.
Durant trade revisited
Elsewhere, forward Kevin Durant recently discussed the trade that sent him to Houston in exchange for Green, Brooks and the rights to the No. 10 pick, later used on Maluach.
The Suns open preseason play on Oct. 10, giving Ott only a brief window to settle his rotation before the club heads overseas.
Source: Hoops Rumors
