Suns Have One of NBA's Most Underrated Players

The Phoenix Suns' roster is loaded with talent.

Their star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal hope to push Phoenix to their first NBA title in their second full season together.

Other key players such as Grayson Allen and Jusuf Nurkic return to the lineup while Tyus Jones figures to be a strong presence at point guard, too.

Also returning to the Valley is Royce O'Neale, who inked an extension with the Suns this summer after landing in Phoenix at last year's trade deadline.

Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes listed O'Neale as one of the NBA's most underrated players with the following explanation:

"Availability is a skill, and only two players can claim to have more of it than Royce O'Neale over the last five years. He suited up for 374 games in that span, a figure bested by Buddy Hield (388) and undisputed NBA iron man Mikal Bridges (392)," he wrote.

"O'Neale canned 38.2 percent of his threes in that sample, frequently defended the opponent's best player and was a full-time starter across three dominant years for a Utah Jazz team that finished ninth, first and third in point differential from 2019-20 to 2021-22.

"A true three-and-D wing who began showcasing that skill set at a time when every team in the league was obsessed with it, O'Neale routinely put up low usage, high-efficiency scoring seasons augmented by an assist rate that graded out above the 90th percentile for his position in each of the five years we're considering.

"O'Neale has never averaged double-digit points in a season, but he does everything else well and fits into any lineup. That's still true today, as evidenced by the Phoenix Suns handing him a four-year, $42 million contract to fill their fifth-starter role. But it was particularly undeniable during O'Neale's prime, which lined up almost perfectly with the five years under consideration here."

O'Neale fits precisely what the Suns need on the wing with his shooting and length. While O'Neale isn't exactly the brightest star on the roster, he's undeniably a key cog for Phoenix in 2024-25.