What We Learned From Phoenix Suns' Trade Deadline

The Phoenix Suns' 2024 playoff roster is (mostly) set.

The Suns acquired Royce O'Neale, David Roddy, and two open roster spots (which will presumably be filled by the buyout market) prior to yesterday's trade deadline.

The current plan is for both O'Neale and Roddy to be available for tomorrow night's tilt with the rapidly improving Golden State Warriors - the Warriors rank in the top 5 in Net rating the last 10 games. 

O'Neale figures to be a rather seamless fit with this ready-made for contention roster, so tomorrow night could be yet another litmus test of what the Suns are made of.

Three things that Suns fans can take away prior the game tomorrow night:

Suns Dodged Messy Situation 

Miles Bridges was reportedly the Suns' top trade target over the last two-plus weeks - to the point where a trade seemed likely as recently as this weekend. 

Bridges obviously balked on the possibility of being moved and decided to stay in Charlotte - the Hornets can offer the forward a max contract in the summer. 

It's likely a decision that ended up being best for both sides.

While Bridges was certainly the best player Phoenix could get for pennies on the dollar and would presumably be a strong on-court fit, the off-the-court issues could've seeped into the locker room. 

They also could've done irreparable damage to the perception of the franchise by a strong fraction of the fanbase.

The Suns might not have acquired a 20-PPG scorer, but they got a beloved teammate that shoots the ball well, passes the ball well, and can defend spots 1-4 on the floor. 

The Suns did a great job with the assets they had.

Mat Ishbia is Committed to Winning

As if Suns fans needed any more confirmation. 

The additions of O'Neale and Roddy will reportedly balloon the Suns' luxury tax bill by $20 million for the season - and Ishbia is clearly fine with it. 

The steward of the Suns has been anything but conservative ever since taking control of the franchise just over a year ago - between trading for Kevin Durant, firing Monty Williams, acquiring Bradley Beal, and everything in between. 

Ishbia is clearly a basketball junkie that has embraced the city of Phoenix. He wants nothing more than to bring an NBA title to Phoenix - something that couldn't be said for the prior regime.

"You don't see that a lot in our league. You don't see a lot of owners kind of taking their team by the horns and like, 'No, I want to win and I want to win in the right way and the best way with a good team.' He has that vision."

Those are the words of Beal on Ishbia after last night's game - a ringing endorsement of a team governor that could quickly surpass Jerry Colangelo as the most beloved in the history of the Valley.

Suns Prioritizing Flexibility

Many Suns fans spent weeks clamoring for players such as Andre Drummond (who could've been helpful) and Tyus Jones (who also could've), but the front office in Phoenix clearly prioritized lineup flexibility over all else. 

While players such as Drummond and Jones are good players that have proven their craft for years, they simply aren't as malleable on the floor/in different roles as some other players.

Simply put, Drummond cannot play in each and every lineup the Suns put out - neither can Jones. 

The Suns' management clearly feels strongly about the prospect of natural-born playmakers in Durant, Beal, and Booker making plays at the highest level despite none fitting the "traditional" point guard billing. 

In come O'Neale and Roddy - two players that can be mixed-and-matched in various lineups, while also being able to play a number of roles without needing the ball very much at all. 

It's quite obvious the Suns eventually settled on finding the best fits that gave Vogel and company the most possible wrinkles to throw at fellow contenders over simply looking to conglomerate elite talent. 

The Suns are in action three more times before the All-Star break - and can go into the break with a 34-21 record if all three are wins.