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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.
More must-reads:
- Luka Doncic played role in recruiting Marcus Smart to Lakers
- LeBron James proposes an intriguing NBA change
- The 'Most NBA games played' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
'If He Gets In, Take Me Out' – Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert Catches Wild HOF Stray From Shaquille O’Neal
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert still has a huge hater in Shaquille O’Neal, as the latter believes that the four-time Defensive Player of the Year doesn’t deserve a spot in the Hall of Fame someday. O’Neal has called out Gobert for years, and the four-time NBA champion went so far as to request that he be removed from the Hall of Fame if the committee inducts Gobert. “If he gets in, take me out,” O’Neal said about Gobert on his YouTube channel. “Go in there and just rip my jersey out. I f***ing hate Rudy Gobert. Because f***ing making 250 (million dollars), he doesn’t deserve it. F**k that. I don’t care.” “As the President of the Big Man Alliance, you’re making big money, play like a f***ing big man, that’s it,” he continued. “Play like a f***ing big man. Throw some bows, knock some people out. Don’t be letting little white dudes from Denver dunk on you and then talk s**t to you. Then you’re going to grab them by the neck at the last second. Come on bro.” Minnesota Timberwolves News: Rudy Gobert plans to sit out the upcoming EuroBasket Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert will not play for the French national team in the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket, as he plans to recharge his batteries ahead of the 2025-26 NBA campaign. “I’ve had busy summers in recent years, and it’s taken a toll. People don’t always realize how intense the EuroBasket is,” Gobert said to L’Aisne. “It finishes just before the NBA resumes, and it’s a big responsibility. I had said I’d wait until the end of the season to decide, and now I have. This summer, I’m focusing on myself, my family, and my son,” he added.
Steelers have big concern as team reportedly doesn't think key player takes his job seriously
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in the sports news cycle throughout the 2025 offseason. It has been an extremely busy time for general manager Omar Khan and the rest of the front office. Moves have been made on both sides of the ball, which has fueled excitement in a city that has not seen a playoff win since the 2016 campaign. One of the more intriguing pieces to the puzzle as training camp gets underway isn't necessarily any of the new faces, but rather, a group that returns its core from 2024. The offensive line is expected to play a crucial role. Offensive line coach Pat Meyer is on the hot seat for what seems like the third year in a row, and his training camp got off to the wrong start when the most experienced member of his unit, Isaac Seumalo, was placed on the non-football injury list. This will provide a challenge during team development, as offensive linemen need to build rapport with one another and be in unison once the regular season kicks off. Another storyline is the presence of 2023 first-round selection, Broderick Jones. The Steelers traded up to pick him out of the University of Georgia, but he has yet to live up to the hype. In all fairness, he was drafted to be a left tackle, but hasn't gotten the chance to play there permanently. He will have the opportunity to do so in his third professional season, and he has a fifth-year option to consider that could be declined in the 2026 offseason if he underperforms. One of the most team's most respected insiders, Gerry Dulac, appeared on the "Steve Jones Show" on Wednesday, and when the left tackle came up in discussion, it wasn't all positive. The Steelers apparently believe he can be a phenomenal lineman, but they aren't convinced he is completely bought in. "They really really think Broderick Jones is immensely talented," Dulac said of the third-year offensive lineman. "They would just like to see him mature, kind of professionally, personally [and] take his job and his performance just a little more seriously." This is certainly a concerning comment from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter. Jones was looked at as a raw prospect coming out of college, but he always possessed the size and talent to be a great player in the NFL. If he isn't taking his job seriously enough, it would suggest that he is trying to rely on his skills alone, which is never good enough at the highest level. The offensive line has the ability to determine how the Steelers' 2025 season goes. With a 41-year-old quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, the big men up front will need to keep the guy under center upright. The team will also want to run the ball effectively, so it will be imperative to create holes and win the line of scrimmage on a consistent basis. Pittsburgh isn't necessarily starting off training camp on the right foot with Seumalo unable to participate in team activities, and now the comments from Dulac surely will be cause for concern when it comes to Jones, who has yet to convince the fan base that he was worth a first-round pick in 2023. If he wants to remain in the Steel City long-term, Jones should be preparing to be the most serious individual in the locker room. Steelers should have one clear advantage on the offensive line Zach Frazier was selected in the second-round back in 2024, and he was one of the most important rookies in the NFL. Entering his sophomore season, he is expected to not just take a step forward, but play like a Pro Bowler. While there could be some questions and inconsistencies in certain spots, Frazier should be the No. 1 guy that the group can rely on week in and week out.
Tua Tagovailoa addresses relationship with Tyreek Hill after controversial comments
Shortly after Miami Dolphins players reported for training camp on Tuesday, Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill suggested he wants to be "better as a leader" after he controversially subbed himself out of Miami's regular-season finale this past January and then told reporters he was "out." While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa addressed the Hill-sized elephant in the room. "I think there’s a lot more vulnerability with Tyreek," Tagovailoa explained, as shared by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "He’s conversating a lot more with the guys, not just about football, but about things off the field, being vulnerable about some of the things people know about his personal life and things of that nature. I think that’s the first step toward him building true relationships and a real connection with a lot of the guys in there." Following Hill's "out" comment, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier revealed that the 31-year-old speedster never requested a trade. While publicly apologizing to his teammates during a Super Bowl week interview, Hill directly said that Tagovailoa is his "guy." Hill also insisted at the time that he loves Tagovailoa. "Everybody makes mistakes," Tagovailoa added about Hill. "It’s just, some people, they’re in the spotlight, and their deals get pushed out more than some others. So you’ve just got to cut him some grace. That’s our teammate. We love him, but as a person, I think if you get to know him, you’ll love him too." Hill and Tagovailoa likely will need to be on the same page if they want to prevent the Dolphins from going through a franchise reset next offseason. At least head coach Mike McDaniel is reportedly on the hot seat this summer, while Tagovailoa's status beyond the upcoming campaign is up in the air after he suffered a third reported concussion since the fall of 2022 last season. "You guys aren’t the only people that heard that," Tagovailoa said about Hill's "out" statement. "...So when you say something like that, you don’t just come back from that with, 'Hey, my bad.' You’ve got to work that relationship up. You’ve got to build everything up again. It’s still a work in progress, not just for me but for everybody. But like I said, he’s working on himself, he’s working on the things he says he wants to get better with and do better on. So that’s the first step to me, so I commend him for doing that." As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the 2024 Dolphins at -275 betting odds to miss the playoffs. Those who believe the relationship between Tagovailoa and Hill is on shaky ground following Wednesday's developments may want to take a flier on such a wager before the odds change later this year.
Nationals OF makes Catch of the Year candidate to rob home run
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