Realistic options for Centers the Suns could target in free agency

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Realistic options for Centers the Suns could target in free agency

Originally posted on Burn City Sports
By Tanner Tortorella | Last updated May 25, 2025 9:17 AM ET

The centers last year for the Phoenix Suns were a dud. The roster started with a rotation of Jusuf Nurkic and Mason Plumlee and slowly derailed into Bol Bol and Nick Richards, both big man lineups ended the same: a failure. The center rotation has no urgency or defensive prowess to stop teams from dominating the restricted area.

The eventual Kevin Durant trade could fill this problem for the team. However, general manager Brian Gregory can’t bet on that, and will likely need to focus on the free agent pool for centers. Thirty-six centers enter 2025 free agency, and Phoenix need to focus on these three targets.

Who should the Suns target?

Steven Adams finished his 11th season and 1st with the Houston Rockets last season. Adams appeared in 58 games, averaging 3.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in 13.7 minutes. He recorded more offensive rebounds than defensive rebound and was a hound in the first round series against the Golden State Warriors.

The 31-year-old started his career alongside Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City, and has earned the label of being one of the best rebounding centers in the league. In his two season in Memphis, Adams averaged 10.6 rebounds, 4.8 of them offensive.

The Suns were the 25th worst rebounding team in the association and would benefit greatly with the addition of Adams, who wasn’t utilized to his full potential with Houston.

Another option for Phoenix is Luke Kornet. The 29-year-old has spent the last three season as a backup with the Boston Celtics appearing in 205 games. Kornet is a stellar locker room guy and underrated playmaker as a big man. With the Celtics, Kornet averaged 5.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 15.4 minutes.

He made his biggest impact in game five of the second round series against the New York Knicks, recording 10 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks. The performance alone might make Kornet out of the Suns price range, but the franchise could offer the seven-footer a starting role in the Valley, something Boston won’t be able to match.

Thomas Bryant has bounced around the league, playing for five teams throughout his career. His latest stint with the Indiana Pacers might be Bryant’s most productive yet, with the team in the Eastern Conference Finals. The 27-year-old is the Pacers backup center and has brought great energy off the pine to guard All-Stars like Jarrett Allen, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Evan Mobley.

In 56 games with Indinia, Bryant averaged 6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds. He has meshed well with guard Tyrese Haliburton and could recreate that downhill attack with Devin Booker on pick-and-rolls. The Pacers have an abundance of centers with Myles Turner, Isaiah Jackson, Tony Bradley, and James Wiseman recovering from a torn Achilles tear.

The Suns could take advantage and swoop in to sign Bryant and give him a more prominent role in the rotation.

This article first appeared on Burn City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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