Bleacher Report Gives Suns C- Offseason Grade
The Phoenix Suns didn't impress many through their offseason moves. Surely all the drama didn't help very much, either.
Yet the regular season is almost here, and now everything that occured through the past few months is about to come to fruition.
Here's Bleacher Report's offseason grade for the Suns:
Bleacher Report Gives Suns C- Offseason Grade
Grade: C-
Key Additions: Jock Landale, Damion Lee, Josh Okogie
Key Subtractions: Aaron Holiday, JaVale McGee
Key Retentions: Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker, Bismack Biyombo
"If we were scoring on the ability to avoid offseason controversy, the Phoenix Suns would be in trouble," said Bleacher Report.
"Deandre Ayton's restricted free agency was uncomfortable, as the Suns held off on securing their starting center until after he received an offer sheet from the Pacers. Waiting for the market to explicitly tell them what Ayton was worth made sense from a coldly practical perspective, but it didn't exactly strengthen the bond between team and player.
"Add to that the awkwardness of head coach Monty Williams pulling Ayton early from a disastrous Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round (not an offseason event, but still...) and then the news that Ayton and Williams hadn't spoken since, and the vibes in Phoenix have been less than chill.
"Starting power forward Jae Crowder's trade request didn't help matters, and all of the aforesaid intra-team strife pales in comparison to the conclusion of a months-long investigation into the team's workplace culture that will result in owner Robert Sarver selling the team.
"That's probably a good thing in the long run, but it's also another entry in a growing list of distractions.
"Phoenix's rotation is basically unchanged from last year's 64-win team; nine of the top 10 players in total minutes are back, and a return to health from Dario Saric should offset the loss of backup center JaVale McGee. Not only that, but the Suns also locked up Devin Booker with a max extension.
"That's all great and would normally warrant a grade somewhere in the "B" range or higher, but it's impossible to ignore the tension and general sense that something's not quite right with this group.
"If there's a team with the experience and talent to overcome the non-basketball distractions swirling around, maybe it's this one. For now, it's just not reasonable to say the Suns had a good offseason. Messy and concerning seem like better descriptors."
Only six other teams received equal or worse grades for their offseason.
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