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Suns Insider Reveals Phoenix’s Likely Plan for Final Roster Spots
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- Suns Insider Reveals Phoenix’s Likely Plan for Final Roster Spots
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Phoenix Suns ' five-game preseason slate is nearly over.
Once the Suns complete Friday night's game against the Utah Jazz, all sights will be set on the regular season opener.
The Oct. 21 contest against the Portland Trail Blazers will come with many answered questions, but one that isn't quite yet seems to be on the horizon of reaching finality.
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John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports gave a definitive answer on what he believes the Suns will do when it comes to the fringes of the roster ahead of the regular season.
"Based on what I have heard and the way he has played Jamaree Bouyea will earn the 14th roster spot for the Phoenix Suns. Bouyea had 15 points (7-11 FG, 1-2 3Ptr), eight assists, four rebounds and one steal in 28 minutes last night. I do not expect the Suns to fill the 15th roster spot as they have quite a bit of flexibility for two-way players with Pat Spencer and Duop Reath."
There are many layers of meaning to the above statement - we break those down below.
Bouyea Has Earned Roster Spot
Above all else, the San Francisco product is deserving of owning a standard roster spot this season.
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Bouyea brings relentless energy, a slithery ball-handler, and high motor on defense to the floor. All of these fall directly in-line with what Phoenix's front office is looking for in stretches, and he fits well in Jordan Ott's rotation in spurts.
Expect Bouyea to make a difference in multiple contests over the 82-game schedule.
Reath's Possible Two-Way Status is Telling
It seems more likely than not that Reath is trending towards being a two-way player for the Suns.
This allows the 30-year-old to play in up to 45 NBA contests before a decision on handing out a standard NBA deal becomes a conversation.
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This might seem trivial, but the timing has potential to work out well for Phoenix. The Suns' 45th game of the season comes on January 24, which is within the realistic timeframe in which center Mark Williams can make a return to play.
There's no guarantee that this actually comes to be, but it will be fascinating to follow how Phoenix handles the center situation moving forward.
Suns Keeping Flexibility With Leaving Roster Spot Open
Haywood Highsmith likely being the man out on the 15-man roster stings to an extent. Highsmith is useful as a two-way floor spacer, but the emergence of Ryan Dunn in preseason makes it easier to move on.
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This also opens the door for GM Brian Gregory to explore making moves down the line this season - whether it's a trade or a signing of a major buyout candidate - or even both.
It sure seems as if this management arrangement plays chess, so it wouldn't be a shock if Gregory and Mat Ishbia are mapping out the next moves to take the organization to an even greater level.
