The newest member of the Phoenix Suns has officially joined the franchise.
Former Toronto Raptors F Thaddeus Young was released by the Brooklyn Nets following his inclusion of the Spencer Dinwiddie-Dennis Schroeder deal at the NBA's recent trade deadline.
Young officially signed a contract with Phoenix for the remainder of the season Tuesday after nearly a week of reports that a deal was imminent.
Young, 35, has been a primary target for the Suns' front office since at least 2021 - and while he may not be the player he was three years ago, he still can be an effective rotational piece.
Prediction: Young Will Be Part of Playoff Rotation
Young isn't a floor-spacer despite several seasons of posting decent shooting marks. He also isn't nearly as versatile of a defender as he once was due to expected athletic regression.
That certainly doesn't mean that he doesn't bring value to the Suns' prospects in 2024.
Young isn't a ball-stopper, though he can serve as a connector of the offense in the same vain as Jusuf Nurkic, and also still brings versatility to Vogel's defensive scheme due to a high level of IQ.
Most importantly, Young adds a wrinkle to the lineup that previously wasn't there.
Drew Eubanks has proven to be an inconsistent player that shows enough moments of strength to remain relevant. Bol Bol is a very talented player that has played generally well with more consistent playing time, but isn't nearly as strong of a connector as Young.
The main thing Young adds is flexibility.
Coach Frank Vogel now has three bigs sitting behind Nurkic that he can mix-and-match based on potential matchups.
Expect Young to be a fixture in the playoff rotation regardless of matchup, but the addition likely could loom much larger than it appears to be at the moment.
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