Suns Must Cut One Player - Who Will it be?
The Phoenix Suns roster now stands at 16 players plus two-way contracts (Saben Lee, Udoka Azuibuike) after releasing Ish Wainwright yesterday. Ahead of the 2023-24 season, the Suns are required to release one more player from the roster.
There appears to be three major candidates to be cut, one of which is due to injury.
Here are those three players:
Bol Bol
Bol is a tantalizing yet polarizing talent. Now on his third NBA team since he was picked by Denver in the 2019 NBA Draft, Bol has long been seen as an intriguing developmental piece due to his guard-like abilities in a 7-foot-3 frame.
The concern with Bol is what pushed the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic to move on from him. He is quite turnover prone, is more of a block-chaser than rim protector, and not being assertive enough as a scorer at times.
There's no denying the talent he possesses, as this decision will likely come down to the Suns deciding on whether they will be patient with his development or not. It also likely helps that Phoenix is more in need of big man depth than guard depth.
Keon Johnson
Keon Johnson is one of the pieces Phoenix acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers in the Deandre Ayton move. The former five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American has shown some flashes in the preseason for Phoenix, though the issue is he did little to nothing to separate himself from the others throughout preseason action.
As mentioned above, Phoenix is more in need of big man depth as it is.
Damion Lee
Damion Lee is only a release candidate due to the torn meniscus he suffered in early October. The second-year Suns guard was a strong contributor at various points last season and was truthfully one of the best shooters in the entire NBA.
While Lee is a great shooter, he does have limitations defensively and the injury that could keep him sidelined for months.
Even with the meniscus injury, Lee should make the final roster. The Suns had a clear process behind retaining his services, as he is obviously well-liked in the locker room and has a place to contribute on this team when healthy.
Verdict: Keon Johnson will be cut
