Nurkic, team hierarchy and more

PHOENIX — The 2024-25 NBA season is fast approaching, with the Phoenix Suns just nine weeks away from opening their first training camp under new head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Despite Budenholzer’s arrival, most of the roster changes have been aimed at improving fit and making minor improvements here and there – aside from perhaps the recent acquisition of Tyus Jones.

The overall reception to the mid-season has been positive from several angles, despite the largely moderate changes.

With that, we will be doing another mailing in which we will answer urgent questions from fans, as the regular season in October is quickly approaching:

A: It’s hard to say which move really wasn’t as great as the outside world thought, but if I had to pick one, it would probably be the arrival of Monte Morris.

That’s not to say Morris can’t or won’t make an impact for this version of the Suns. That path, however, has become a lot more complicated with the arrival of Jones.

Morris is expected to continue to have a significant role in the second unit and will be crucial in correcting the team’s poor turnover numbers from last season.

In other words, the steps Phoenix took were either met with outrageous reactions, were undervalued, or were perceived as transactions designed to increase flexibility for the future.

A: There is no clear answer to this as Nurkic’s value is currently not high enough to bring in a player of the caliber of the players mentioned.

If Nurkic can reinvent himself and become a consistent threat from the three points, then there will likely be talks from management, as a team in reconstruction is effectively inheriting an expiring contract with market value that could mean more than a sunk investment.

The bigger question is: Should the Suns even consider moving Nurkic if he can do a good job of mimicking Brook Lopez this season?

I would say it would be best to keep Nurkic, but if the Suns really want an upgrade, it would probably be a versatile big man/winger. Think Jonathan Isaac (may be unrealistic, but just an example).

A: We won’t know for sure until the regular season starts, but Kevin Durant is probably the best choice.

Devin Booker is the Suns’ franchise player and is without a doubt a superstar in the NBA, but Durant still has a lot to offer as he is arguably the NBA’s best scorer.

There has been much ado about Durant’s inconsistent role, and it appears that coach Budenholzer is the one who can find a middle ground between giving Durant the attention he needs without putting too much on his shoulders now that he is 36 years old.

Booker making huge sacrifices for Team USA during the Olympics should also be a sign that he is willing to do whatever it takes to win, regardless of the competition.

I think it will be a 1A/1B lineup, but Durant will likely get more opportunities per game.

A: There are two awards that can be in play: 6th Man of the Year and Coach of the Year.

Grayson Allen is widely expected to be benched this season after starting all but eight games in the previous three seasons.

He could be an underrated pick, but as Suns fans saw in 2023-24, Allen has the potential to be a blazing scorer, similar to the Sacramento Kings’ Malik Monk — only with much more efficient numbers.

Allen’s game is perfectly suited to the sixth man role and he could really have another strong season in the Valley.

Budenholzer comes to Phoenix as a two-time Coach of the Year — and this year the 2021 NBA champion could win his third award.

The Coach of the Year award is typically given to a coach of a team that significantly exceeds expectations during the regular season or dominates the league from start to finish.

The Suns could end up on either team, as their O/U wins record is 46.5 according to FanDuel, which shows that fans, pundits, and even Vegas don’t view the Suns the same way they used to.

Phoenix should be able to surpass that total and it’s not entirely inconceivable that with a bit of luck on the health front they could win 55+.