3 Players Who Make Most Sense for Suns in Free Agency
3 Players Who Make Most Sense for Suns in Free Agency
The Suns suddenly have a need at the guard position heading into free agency.Brendan Mau|
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Phoenix SunsPHOENIX -- 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
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
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
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.
Published 8 minutes ago
BRENDAN MAUBrendan Mau is a staff writer for Suns on SI. Brendan has been a credentialed media member covering the Suns since 2023 and holds a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism from Arizona State’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. Follow Brendan on X @Brendan_Mau for more news, updates, analysis and more!
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Phil Mickelson’s Wife Amy Got Him Removed From Prestigious Club Amid Cheating Claims: Report
Amy Mickelson reportedly took matters into her own hands after her husband, golfer Phil Mickelson, began “regularly” sleeping with another woman.
Phil, 56, is accused of “having at least one woman who was not his wife spend the night in his condo” at the Madison Club in La Quinta, California, in a piece published by journalist Alan Shipnuck for Skratch Golf on Friday, June 26.
According to “multiple members and employees of the Madison Club,” Amy was not on the club’s premises at the time.
In 2021, Phil abruptly left the Madison Club after nearly a decade of membership.
Related: Shocking Claims Made Against Phil Mickelson: Nude Selfies, Grooming and More
Shocking allegations have been made against golfer Phil Mickelson after the six-time major champion was kicked out of a country club over a misconduct claim. Journalist Alan Shipnuck spoke to 19 sources for a stunning investigative piece focusing on Mickelson, 56, published by Skratch Golf on Friday, June 26. The story came on the heels […]“He wasn’t necessarily kicked out,” a senior member of the Madison Club’s management team told Shipnuck. “It was more of a demand by Amy. We got a call from [Phil’s and Amy’s] wealth management firm: ‘We need Phil’s place sold, gone, right now. Phil will no longer be a member at the Madison Club.’”
Amy and Phil have been married since 1996 and share three children: daughters Amanda, born in 1999, and Sophia, born in 2001, and son Evan, born in 2003.
After leaving the Madison Club, Phil began spending most of his free time at The Bridges golf club in Rancho Santa Fe, California, where he allegedly began cheating on Amy again with another woman in a property near the club.
“Phil would give his phone to a young man in the pro shop and pay him $500 to drive around the course for three or four hours,” a club member told Shipnuck. “Amy was tracking his phone; that way, she would think he was out on the golf course. That gave Phil the time to sneak over to this guy’s house and have his secret rendezvous.”
The club member said he found out about the allegations from “the kid from the pro shop.”
“Everyone at the club knew what was going on and eventually Amy found out, too,” the member claimed.
Prior to the alleged incidents at the Madison Club and The Bridges, a former friend of Mickelson’s told Shipnuck that “things began to change” with Phil around 2015.
“He began drinking more on the road,” the friend claimed. “Lots of red wine. He had always been devoted to Amy but that also started to change.”
Related: Woman at Center of Phil Mickelson Nude Photo Scandal Addresses Wild Claims
Ashley Perez, who accused golfer Phil Mickelson of propositioning her after showing her an unsolicited naked photo of himself, spoke out in the wake of her shocking claims. “I will rise up and stand next to the millions of women who have been silenced to protect the evil and darkness that lurks amongst us,” Perez […]In a statement to Skratch Golf via Phil’s attorneys, the golfer’s spokesperson addressed the claims made in the article.
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Deal of the Day
Deal Alert! This 44%-Off Throw-On Mini Dress Is Too Good to Leave in Your Cart View Deal“Throughout their 35-year relationship, his wife, Amy Mickelson, has supported Mr. Mickelson and their family with extraordinary grace, unwavering love, and the belief that people are measured not only by their failures, but by what they do to make them right,” the statement read. “Mr. Mickelson’s priority is to become the husband, father, and man his family deserves. Right now, that means giving his full attention to a private family health matter. He understands that parts of his life are public, but his family’s private matters are not.”
Phil’s lawyers called out some “false” accusations in the story — which included Phil allegedly showing a naked photo of himself to another golfer’s wife — while acknowledging “others revisit mistakes he has already acknowledged, publicly or privately.”
“Stacking the disputed claims next to the ones he has owned does not make them credible,” the statement added. “It instead contributes to a false and misleading narrative. No person, no article, and no book can present an accurate, complete, or personal story of the life Mr. Mickelson and his family have lived. His story, struggles, and recovery belong to him and to the people who have shared it closely alongside him.”
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Aaron Lazar’s Family Shares GoFundMe Amid ALS Battle to Help Relieve ‘Enormous Financial Burdens’
Actor Aaron Lazar’s family has launched a GoFundMe amid his battle with ALS.
“Aaron Lazar has inspired audiences as a singer and actor,” a message read via a newly launched GoFundMe. “But to those who love him most, Aaron is a devoted father to his two teenage sons, a loving son and brother, and a loyal friend.”
The statement shared that Lazar has been “in the fight of his life against ALS” since 2022, adding that the “terminal neurological disease that progressively steals a person’s ability to walk, speak, eat, use their hands, and breathe on their own.”
“There is currently no cure for ALS. Most people would see this diagnosis and its burdens as the end of a dream. Yet Aaron has chosen a different path, dedicating himself to what he calls ‘The Impossible Dream,’ his commitment to living with hope, determination, faith, and love,” the caption read. “But determination alone cannot overcome the heartbreaking realities of ALS.”
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Aaron Carter’s mom, Jane Carter Schneck, has launched a GoFundMe to honor his music legacy with a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame. Schneck noted in the fundraiser description that her late son, who died at 34 in November 2022, wore many hats as a “singer, rapper, actor, and entertainer who rose to […]The message continued, “Aaron has lost the use of his legs, arms, and hands. He requires a BIPAP machine to breathe and a full-time caregiver at his side to help him throughout the day and night. With his increased needs, the cost of full-time caregiving, medical equipment, and specialized therapies has grown to more than $300,000 every year. Aaron’s ability to generate income for his family is severely limited. He needs help to stay in the fight.”
The statement shared that the GoFundMe aims to help provide Lazar and his children “with stability, comfort, and peace of mind while ensuring these enormous financial burdens do not stand in the way of his journey.”
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Deal of the Day
Deal Alert! This 44%-Off Throw-On Mini Dress Is Too Good to Leave in Your Cart View Deal“Every donation directly supports Aaron’s medical care, allowing him to focus on what matters most: spending meaningful time with his children and the people he loves, and empowering Aaron to continue his brave, hopeful fight,” the caption read. “Please join us in supporting Aaron.”
Related: Revisiting Aaron Carter's Ups and Downs Through the Years
Aaron Carter had dealt with his fair share of ups and downs through the years. “I learned there’s a very valuable lesson in growing up as a young star and then being about to come out on the other side,” the “I Want Candy” singer exclusively told Us Weekly in April 2017 of when he started performing […]The fundraiser has a goal of $500,000, with more than $290,000 raised at the time of publication. The GoFundMe was created on June 21, the same day that Lazar celebrated his 50th birthday.
“I’m 50 and more grateful than ever for my amazing friends!” he wrote via Instagram at the time, sharing clips of Josh Groban leading a singalong with another video showing Norm Lewis and Michael Minarik with the same idea. “Thank you @joshgroban @thenormlewis @mayajominarik I love you boys! Thank you everyone for all the birthday love!”
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