The Phoenix Suns reportedly are hoping to bring Drew Eubanks back for the 2024-25 season. Eubanks can opt into his player option that was include with the veteran minimum contract he signed last offseason.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“The full organization wants me back … and I want to be a Phoenix Sun next year,” Eubanks said via AZ Central’s Duane Rankin. “I’m going to make the best decision for my family and I when the time comes.”
Eubanks has until June 29 to exercise his player option. While he was making $2.3 million this past season, this total would increase to $2.6 million next season if he were to opt in.
Eric Gordon, Josh Okogie and Damion Lee also all have player options to extend their veteran minimum deals to next season. The Suns have Royce O’Neale’s bird rights if they want to sign him to a contact extension.
Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported earlier a couple weeks ago that Eubanks “won’t be back” next season and that he did not see Eric Gordon coming back after their first year in the Valley.
Eubanks won't be back.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) April 29, 2024
Do not see him coming back.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) April 29, 2024
However, Gambadoro said this sentiment might change following the hiring of Mike Budenholzer as the team’s new head coach this morning, two days after the dismissal of Frank Vogel. The decision to move on from Vogel came a week and a half after Phoenix was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
New coach may change that! Old coach wasn’t a fan
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) May 11, 2024
The 6-foot-10, 245-pound Eubanks played the role of backup center this past season and averaged 5.1 points on 60.1% shooting and 4.3 rebounds in 75 games (six starts) this season, but was not very well liked by fans as they thought Thaddeus Young should play over him. The Suns had to forfeit a second-round pick this season after they were found guilty of having early discussions to get Eubanks in the offseason.
Phoenix ended up benching Eubanks in Game 4 against Minnesota, something Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony-Towns did not understand.
Anthony Edwards: “[Drew Eubanks] didn’t play today?”
Karl-Anthony Towns: “Nah.”
Ant: “He played good for them.”
KAT: “That ain’t our job to worry about that.” ????pic.twitter.com/RTjfyjOl2G
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 29, 2024
The Suns inevitably have to make some changes with their roster, even if it means bringing in some new role players following the disappointment of this past season.
Per Spotrac, Kevin Durant will be making $51.2 million next season with an additional year on his contract after that, Bradley Beal will be earning $50.2 million on the third year of a five-year deal and Devin Booker is set to make an estimated $49.4 million on the second season of a four-year extension. Additionally, Jusuf Nurkić is locked up for two more seasons after this one and will earn $18.1 million next year. Grayson Allen will be on the first season of a four-year, $70 million extension signed three weeks ago.
Beal’s no-trade clause carried over from when the Suns acquired him from the Washington Wizards, so he has the power to veto any trade.
Outside the starting lineup, Nassir Little is set to make $6.75 million on the second year of his four-year rookie extension next season. David Roddy is owed $2.9 million on the third of a four-year rookie deal next year (not much more than a veteran minimum contract).
With these salaries, the Suns are projected to have the highest payroll in the NBA next season at $209 million and will be severely limited due to the league’s second tax apron rules, which they would land over. The second-apron line is projected to be $190 million next season.
In this threshold, Phoenix is unable to sign free agents outside of the Suns to anything other than veteran minimum contracts. In terms of trades, the Suns will not be able to take in more salary than they send out, include cash in deals, aggregate contracts or use a preexisting trade exception.
Updated Offseason in Phoenix pic.twitter.com/ctUY5qFN4L
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 9, 2024
The Suns did hire Budenholzer, but still have a lot of questions moving forward with the roster this offseason.
Mike Wilbon says Suns roster is ‘fatally flawed’ no matter the coach
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
