The transaction that brought him to Phoenix mid-season was a realization of what the Suns needed to fortify their Big Three.
Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series where we do individual PLAYER REVIEWS of each man who contributed in the 2023-24 season. We go through the roster to analyze what went right/wrong for them, and what they can do to get better for next season.
Royce O’Neale
- Position: Small Forward
- Vitals: 6’6”, 226 pounds, 30 years old
- Experience: 6 years
- Stats: 30 GP (8 GS), 8.1 points (41.1 FG%, 37.6 3PT%, 69.2 FT%), 5.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Contract Details
O’Neale is an unrestricted free agent, although Phoenix does possess his Bird rights.
Career Progression
Royce O’Neale had an interesting yet productive journey en route to the Suns last season. He was initially undrafted before signing with the Utah Jazz in July of 2017. After spending time going back and forth between Utah and their G-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, he earned a spot with the major league ball club in November of 2017.
He spent the next 5 seasons with the Jazz, earning a reputation as a pest with size defensively. In five postseason runs with the Jazz, O’Neale averaged 30.9 minutes, 8.3 points, and was a 39.9% three-point shooter. His value as a quality ancillary player grew, and he was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets in the summer of 2022 for a first-round pick.
He spent a season and a half playing in Brooklyn, the first of which he spent time playing alongside Kevin Durant.
Phoenix acquired him at the trade deadline in 2023 in a three-team deal that saw Phoenix deal Keita Bates-Diop, Jordan Goodwin, Yuta Watanabe, and Chimezie Metu — along with a 2026 first and second round pick and a 2028 second round pick — to the Nets and Memphis Grizzlies.
Regular Season Recap
Royce didn’t spend much time with Phoenix, but his impact was almost immediately felt. He possessed the confidence that the outgoing players in the trade lacked. He wasn’t afraid to shoot the three-ball or take a gamble defensively. He knew his role on the team and he willingly performed it when called upon.
It didn’t take long for the fan base to appreciate the talents he brought to the table. He scored 20 points against the Lakers shortly after arriving, and two games later he had a 20 point/10 rebound game against the Houston Rockets.
His defensive intensity, his three-point shot; Royce O’Neale was everything we wanted Josh Okogie to be.
It was only 30 games for Rolls Royce, but as his comfortability with the team set in, his production overall waned. Each month as the season progressed, Royce was less and less effective and less noticeable, despite seeing an uptick in minutes. Every major statistic decreased as the season progressed.
It was as if the lackadaisical nature of this Suns team began to take hold of him and he no longer was the fiery player that we fell in love with when he arrived. By the end of the season, while we knew that Royce was a definite rotational player on this team, we weren’t sure which version we were going to see night to night.
Postseason Recap
You’ll read a consistent theme across the majority of our Player Reviews; that members of the Suns were rendered ineffective by the Minnesota Timberwolves in their quick sweep of the Suns. Royce was no different.
He received plenty of playing time in the First Round, posting 26 minutes played per game. But the three-point shooting that was at 37.6% during the regular season fell to 33.3% in the postseason. In four games he scored a total of 20 points. Someone who could have been a needle mover in a series in which Phoenix desperately needed scoring simply wasn’t.
Credit the Timberwolves for taking everyone out of their element, including Royce O’Neale.
Biggest Strength
Flexibility.
He played 64% of the time as the small forward, but played shooting guard (6%) and power forward (29%) as well. His presence was felt when he entered the game as you knew he’d give you the effort along with the acumen to be effective on multiple positions. He guarded point guards 12.2% of the time, shooting guards 18.9%, small forwards 25.8%, power forwards 27.5%, and centers 15.7%. True flexibility.
Royce O’Neale is a modern NBA player in every sense of the word. A true “3-and-D” guy. Per B-Ball Index, O’Neale had an openness rating in the 92%tile, which made him a dangerous weapon for Phoenix. 78.3% of his shots came from beyond the arc, and he hit 37.6% of them.
Defensively, O’Neale was a solid when the opposition attempted to drive on him. His size, length, and lateral quickness made it hard for his assignments to be productive. His interior defense for a wing defender was above average, as he had a 23.3% block rate on contests — an A- rating in the 82%tile — and his rim points save per 75 possessions was in the 81%tile.
Biggest Weakness
Offensively, O’Neale leaves much to be desired off-ball. He is a plant on the offensive end, which creates stagnation and isolation for the players around him. He does cut — he averaged 0.1 cuts per game, good for the 24%tile in the league — and his movement points per 75 possessions was in the 11%tile. That grades out as an “F”.
Cutting is key for wing players as constant and continual movement puts pressure on opposing defenses. It hurts the rest of the offense when his defender can sit back and sag off of him because he’s not going anywhere. You know that. That’s just basketball.
Defensively, O’Neale was a solid defender when the opposition attempted to drive on him. His size, length, and lateral quickness made it hard for his assignments to be productive. But on the perimeter? O’Neale had his issues. His three-point contests graded as a D+,
Watching him nightly you knew that he would clog the lane, but his perimeter defense was average.
What to Work On
Based on what we discussed above, it’s the off-ball movement that would enhance his game and is an easy fix. He’s a bench player, not asked to provide 30+ minutes each night. Keep it moving. Keep it rolling, Royce!
Likelihood of Return: 4.3
This is a tough one. The Suns possess O’Neale’s Bird rights, which would allow them to sign him to an extension and pay him more than any other bidder. But unlike Grayson Allen, they have yet to do so.
O’Neale has abilities, size, and length that are coveted in the NBA and he could get the big contract he’s been seeking his entire career. I would love for the Suns to bring him back as doing so would fortify a roster that doesn’t have many outs. Phoenix does have O’Neale’s Bird rights.
Bringing him back would give you value on the team as well as an option if trades need to occur. I’m just not sure if Phoenix is going to do it.
Overall Grade
Royce O’Neale is a solid rotational player. He has grown into someone who can contribute consistently and the Suns were lucky to bring him over in the last season they could stack contracts. He was clearly an upgrade as he possessed confidence and ability, and had the experience to execute both.
He’s not a starter, although he could be if the Pistons are willing to drop some serious coin on him. His two-way abilities will keep him relevant in the NBA as long as his body lets him.
Wherever O’Neale ends up, they’ll be lucky to have him. The hope is he’ll be back in the Valley, rocking 00 once again. He’d certainly have a place on a competitive roster.
- Overall grade as an NBA player: B-
- Relative grade to preseason expectations: N/A