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Suns role players that could be on the trading block this summer

Originally posted on Burn City Sports
By Tanner Tortorella | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 11:05 PM ET

During last year’s end of season press conference, Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia claimed change was coming. Since then, the franchise has a new general manager, head coach and will have traded 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant within the week. However, is that enough to get the bad taste from last year’s disaster?

The return package for Durant will be a massive factor on the success of the team next season. Regardless, general manager Brian Gregory will likely have to keep his eyes out for another trade to elevate the roster, most likely by trading one or both of Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen.

Why Suns could look to trade Allen and O’Neale:

The two players are on very tradeable contracts, with O’Neale due $10 million and Allen due nearly $17 million next season. O’ Neale has his best offensive season of his career, averaging 9.1 points per game on 40.6% from 3 on 5.9 attempts. When drafted by Utah in 2017, O’Neale was drafted as a defense-first type of player but has developed into something special.

Allen dealt with injuries last year, appearing in 64 games but only starting in seven. The 29-year-old lead the league on 3-point percentage in 2023, and only slightly regress last season to shoot 42.6% on 5.5 attempts. The sharpshooting makes them valuable assets but not exactly what the Suns need.

Allen and O’Neale are both 6’4 guards that shoot 40% from 3, they cancel each other out. The Suns lack size, hurting their defensive identity and battle on the glass. The two guards are stellar players but are one of the only few tradeable assets on the roster.

Gregory has 10 players currently under contract for next season. The franchise is expected to decline Micic’s team option and waive Cody Martin’s non-guaranteed salary for the 2025-2026 season, leaving the team with eight players. The Durant trade will bring in some key rotational pieces but Gregory shouldn’t stop looking to improve the roster.

Out of the two, Allen is likely the more tradable piece with his higher salary and injury concerns from last year. Phoenix still has over $50 million guaranteed to Allen over the next three years and will want to offload that salary for cap relief. Allen possess all the characteristic that a contender would want, a sharpshooter above average defender that can be trusted down the stretch.

Gregory should look for size and draft capital in exchange for Allen. Detroit Pistons Isaiah Stewart, New Orleans Pelicans Kelly Olynyk or Portland Trail Blazers Robert Williams are all around the price range of Allen and would benefit the Suns immensely with their arrival. Adding any of those types of players would help Phoenix’s cap situation and the on-court product heading into the 2025-2026 season.

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

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