3 Players Who Make Most Sense for Suns in Free Agency

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns set themselves to be in the market for a backup guard when free agency begins later today after trading away Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale for Miles Bridges this weekend.

Phoenix could be an attractive destination for guards after Allen, Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Jamaree Bouyea all had career seasons in coach Jordan Ott's first year last season, leading to Gillespie and Goodwin already earning long-term contracts and Bouyea being elevated from a two-way contract to standard deal, which the Suns just took advantage of by exercising the team option on him for the 2026-27 season.

Unless the Suns shed more salary, the most likely offer they can give for a new backup guard would the taxpayer mid-level exception, which is set at just over $6 million for next season and can only be offered for one or two seasons (max value would be two years, $12.4 million).

There have already been several guards linked to Phoenix after the trade.

Here are our top-3 options for the Suns in free agency:

1. Collin Sexton

Mar 27, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Collin Sexton (2) dribbles down the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Suns are going to need another guard who can score next to Collin Gillespie off the bench, and even though Sexton is undersized at 6-foot-3, he is an elite scorer who has averaged 18.3 points per game on 38.9% 3-point shooting across his eight-year NBA career.

Sexton also embodies the hard-nosed style of basketball the Suns play on both ends and would thrive in Ott's system that gives players a lot of freedom offensively.

The Suns would need Sexton to be a more willing playmaker (averaged 3.3 assists last season), which is an area Allen grew in last season, but he would be a seamless fit into what the Suns are trying to do and give them a massive scoring punch off the bench that could help offset when other players are struggling.

Sexton, who is coming off a four-year, $70 million contract, could end up commanding more money.

2. Luke Kennard

Apr 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) dribbles against Utah Jazz guard John Konchar (55) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If the Suns want someone who can fill the hole of Allen's 3-point shooting, Kennard could be exactly that.

Kennard, who is a ridiculous 44.2% 3-point shooter for his career (second-best in NBA history), showed he can be more than just a shooter with an increased role on the Los Angeles Lakers last season where he handled the ball a lot more.

Ott would likely give Kennard the ultimate green light, just like he did with Allen, to try to increase his volume, and the Suns would have to hope he would be a reliable, all-around addition.

3. De'Anthony Melton

Mar 21, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Golden State Warriors guard De'anthony Melton (8) in action against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Could the Suns reunited with their former 2018 second-round draft pick in Melton?

He would fit the defensive identity of the team perfectly and averaged a career-high 12.3 points in 49 games for the Golden State Warriors last season.

Melton has dealt with a lot of injuries the last few seasons, so the Suns would have to bank on trying to keep him healthy and hope his 3-point percentage improves after he shot just 29.4% from deep in the 2025-26 season.

Of these three players, Melton would be the cheapest option and is not likely to earn more than what Phoenix can offer.

If They Take Less Money: Quentin Grimes, Anfernee Simons

Two other free agents we like for the Suns are Grimes and Simons, but they are likely out of Phoenix's price range.

At 6-foot-4, Grimes would bring a little bit more size than these other options and has really shown to be a prolific scorer and solid defender the last couple seasons, which would be great for the Suns at a backup guard spot.

Simons is another microwave scorer and would fill a similar role to Sexton if he were to join the Suns with a lot of freedom on offense.

Teams can begin negotiating with outside free agents and agreeing to deals at 3:00 p.m. MST today, although nothing can be finalized until July 6.

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