The Suns didn’t win free agency, but they have begun course correction

This free agency was a dud, but did we really expect much?

Free agency has been underwhelming for the Phoenix Suns, but honestly, that was expected. With limited cap space and only a couple of roster spots to fill, the team’s flexibility is virtually nonexistent. If they’re going to add anyone, it’ll have to be on veteran minimum deals, a phrase Suns fans know all too well by now.

This marks the third straight summer Phoenix has been boxed in by cap restrictions, leaving veteran contracts as the only path forward. The expectations heading into free agency were low for a reason. This is a team in transition, still waiting to see how the next phase unfolds.

Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green can’t officially join the Suns until July 6, which means they can’t be included in any trades or transactions just yet. It’s also why you haven’t seen the team roll out the usual welcome graphics across social media.

So as Day 1 of free agency came and went, it was clear: Phoenix wasn’t positioned to make any major moves. Just veteran deals. That’s all. The Suns walk away from the start of free agency with a point guard in Collin Gillespie and an X-factor unknown in Nigel Hayes-Davis.

This isn’t one of those offseasons where you walk away saying they crushed it. There’s no Eric Gordon. No Drew Eubanks, Chimezie Metu, Yuta Watanabe, Keita Bates-Diop, Tyus Jones, Monte Morris, Mason Plumlee, or even Bol Bol. Just a hustle guy we saw on a two-way last season, and a EuroLeague MVP with the physical tools you dream about but an NBA résumé still waiting to be written.

I think back to the last couple of years and how I felt after Day 1 of free agency. In both cases, my interest was sparked. My excitement was real. The Suns had pulled off moves that felt like they made sense, like they would complement the Big Three. But in the end, none of those additions really panned out.

Think about all those names I mentioned. The biggest win anyone had coming off a prove-it deal with the Suns? Tyus Jones landing a $7 million contract with the Orlando Magic. That’s it. Everyone else? Either buried on someone’s bench, floating around as a depth piece, or out of the league entirely. Most of them turned out to be NPCs in the larger NBA storyline. Familiar names, low impact, gone before you knew it.

And here we are again. Feeling underwhelmed. Just as we were when Brian Gregory was hired. Just as we were when Jordan Ott was announced as head coach. But if I’m being honest, while this moment might feel flat, history reminds me that early excitement hasn’t meant much anyway.

What the Suns have done this offseason is simple: they’ve stuck to their plan. And it’s a plan that was never going to be solved in one summer. This is about building a culture. A real one. And anyone who’s ever tried to do that knows: it’s a hell of a lot easier said than done.

I have a good friend who’s looking to take a job I once held. After I left, the person who came in after me torched the culture. No communication. No accountability. No standards. Total culture killer. And when my friend asked what the hardest part of the job would be if he took it, I told him plainly: rebuilding the culture. Not because it’s complicated. But because it takes time. It takes intention. It takes consistency.

That’s where the Suns are right now, with Brian Gregory leading the way. They’re not just signing players. They’re identifying a type. A mindset. A mold. They’re looking for guys who fit a culture. Dogs. Motherfuckers. Guys who pressure the rim, crash the boards, and don’t need the ball to matter.

And that’s not something you build in July. Especially not when you’re carrying a contract like Bradley Beal’s. That’s a long-term anchor, one that forces you to be patient, to think beyond the next 82 games. Because you can’t reset this team in one offseason. It’s going to take a year. Maybe two. Maybe until Beal’s contract is off the books.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

But when that day comes, the goal is clear: to have a real identity. A culture that defines how you play and who you are. And a roster that can finally grow, because you had the patience to plant the right seeds now.

As I analyzed this offseason, I viewed it through the lens of three key objectives, each important in its own right, and not necessarily mutually exclusive.

First, getting out from under the second apron. Not because I care about Mat Ishbia’s checkbook, but because I care about flexibility. Real flexibility. The kind that allows you to react when opportunity knocks. If the right trade materializes or a surprise player becomes available, you want to be in a position to pounce. You can’t do that when you’re buried under the most restrictive layer of the CBA.

Second, securing long-term financial flexibility. Same logic, just stretched out further. I’m talking five, six, seven years down the line. You need a roadmap, one that leads to sustained relevance, not a sugar rush of short-term promise that flames out. That means planning ahead, not just for this season, but for the version of this team that comes after Bradley Beal’s contract is gone.

And third: stay competitive. Not necessarily in the “we’re winning 50 games” kind of way, but in the “we can see the vision” kind of way. Build a roster that plays hard, plays smart, and makes sense. One that gives fans a reason to care. Something to invest in. Even if the wins don’t pile up right away, we should be able to see the scaffolding of something lethal. Something real. Something that’s worth the wait.

None of those three offseason goals have truly been accomplished, at least not yet. The only thing we’ve gotten so far is a glimmer of hope on that third point: building a team that shows signs of a greater vision.

Yes, it might sound like the ramblings of a fan trying to rationalize a quiet, uninspiring offseason. And maybe that’s exactly what this is. But as I look at what the Suns are doing in this moment, I don’t feel pessimistic. And maybe that’s my flaw. Maybe you do see a team that looks rudderless right now. And I wouldn’t blame you. If you’re looking at this roster as it stands on July 1st, your concerns are valid. The point guard depth is shaky. There are far too many shooting guards. The balance just isn’t there.

But if I zoom out — if I look at this team not just in the present, but through the lens of the next three years — I start to see something different. I imagine a world where Bradley Beal’s contract is no longer an anchor. Where the two rookies drafted in 2025 are no longer “potential” guys, but fully realized contributors. And yes, all of this is rooted in hope. That’s where optimism creeps in. It’s a dangerous drug to be on, especially as July begins and the offseason still stretches out in front of us.

We don’t know if this is what the final roster will be. The journey between now and opening night is long. But I think I see the outline of a plan. I think I see what Brian Gregory and the front office are trying to do. And yeah, it’s going to take more time than I wanted.

Maybe that’s just part of it. Maybe that’s the lesson. We’ve been here before. In 2018, the Suns hit a turning point. Three years later, they were in the Finals. Maybe 2025 can be the start of something just as powerful.

So yes, the start of free agency was underwhelming. That was expected. And while I don’t believe the Suns did much to improve in the short term, especially as teams across the Western Conference continue to get better, they’ve at least started to lay a foundation. Through the draft and selective free agency moves, they’re beginning to build something more meaningful: a culture.

It’s not the kind of offseason that wins headlines or sparks immediate hope. But it might be the kind that quietly sets a tone. One day, maybe that tone translates into wins. Into identity. Into something that sticks.

And while it’s tough to stay optimistic when the present feels stagnant, the long-term view offers a reason, however small, to smile. And it feels good to smile again.

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