Phoenix Suns' offseason plan criticized by NBA analyst

Swartz on Suns Offseason moves:

“If the Phoenix Suns have a plan, they’ve done an unbelievable job of hiding it. Phoenix is still over the second apron even after trading Kevin Durant and his $54.7 million salary, so they are limited to veteran minimum deals and re-signing their own free agents. Even so, Martin was waived to cut the tax bill while Jones (Orlando Magic) and Plumlee (Charlotte Hornets) have both departed.

“The Suns’ only signing to date, Hayes-Davis, hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2017-18 season…It’s hard to imagine Hayes-Davis seeing a lot of playing time on a wing-heavy rotation in Phoenix unless a trade shakes things up.”

Swartz has valid criticisms for the front office, as being over the second apron is still a major problem. The main priority for Gregory was to get Phoenix under that mark to make more signings and trades to improve the roster. The final hurdle to achieve that is negotiating Bradley Beal’s contract buyout. Beal’s $110 million remaining salary would make it one of the biggest buyouts in NBA history.

However, once Gregory and Beal are able to reach an agreement, the Suns could start to make some serious moves. The franchise would have plenty of flexibility under the second apron and be able to trade their valuable role players for a more prominent scoring option to pair with Devin Booker.