Suns sign Bol Bol and make other moves

The Phoenix Suns have been actively making offseason moves to address their needs, create financial flexibility, and bolster their draft pick assets.

Despite the major trade to acquire Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards, which initially suggested a quieter remainder of the offseason for Phoenix, the Suns have been busy making additional transactions.

According to reliable sources such as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Suns have reached a one-year agreement with free-agent big man Bol Bol. In another move, they traded combo guard Cameron Payne, a second-round pick, and cash to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for a future second-round pick. Additionally, Phoenix obtained a package of three second-round picks from the Orlando Magic in return for a future pick swap.

The trade involving Payne is particularly significant for the Suns in terms of financial relief. By sending Payne to the Spurs, Phoenix is expected to save approximately $15 million in luxury tax payments, as reported by NBA insider Evan Sidery. Moreover, this transaction created an available roster spot that was subsequently filled by Bol.

Payne was expected to take over as the team’s starting point guard after they waived Chris Paul. Now it’s been reported that Beal will run the point with Jordan Goodwin as his backup. Goodwin and Isaiah Todd were also part of the trade that brought Beal to Phoenix.

The Magic waived Bol on July 4 after one season with the team. The 7-foot-2 center averaged 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 21.5 minutes over 70 games with the Magic last year (33 starts).

At the beginning of the season, Bol emerged as a crucial component of the Magic’s team, showcasing his potential as a starter when several players were sidelined due to injuries. However, as those players returned to full health, Bol’s role gradually diminished, eventually leading to him being largely excluded from the rotation.

Bol possesses significant untapped potential, and while he displayed glimpses of it during his time in Orlando, he faced challenges in making a substantial defensive impact.