The Phoenix Suns were active ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline, looking to bolster their rotation for the stretch run of the season. They acquired veteran forward Royce O’Neale from the Brooklyn Nets and he has made his presence felt right away.
O’Neale knows what it takes to play around superstars, as he was on the Utah Jazz with Donovan Mitchell and the Brooklyn Nets with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. He has looked good at the start of his Suns tenure, knocking down 6-of-13 3-point attempts and finishing with a positive plus/minus ratio in all three games.
Another player the Suns acquired ahead of the deadline was David Roddy. A first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, he provides Phoenix with some more insurance at the forward spots.
Evidently, the Suns weren’t done making additions to their frontcourt at the deadline. They jumped into the NBA buyout market and came away with veteran Thaddeus Young. Young was traded to the Brooklyn Nets ahead of the deadline and quickly released, giving him a chance to latch on with a playoff contender.
That contender will be the Suns. It is being reported that Young could sign with Phoenix as early as Tuesday and he will be with the team on Thursday for their game against the Dallas Mavericks, their first out of the NBA All-Star Break.
Young, who was traded by the San Antonio Spurs to the Raptors in 2022, hasn’t been a regular part of Toronto’s rotation the last few seasons. But, when his number was called, he was still able to produce efficiently.
In Phoenix, Young provides the Suns with yet another veteran with extensive playoff experience. He can step into the rotation in a pinch and provides Frank Vogel with an option to play in the middle should they want to play some small ball.
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