Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images Your weekly Inside the Suns analysis straight from the BSotS community who live and breathe the team. Welcome to ‘Inside the Suns’, your weekly deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week the Fantable - a round table of Bright Siders - give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news. Fantable Questions of the Week Q1 - What are your thoughts on Mike Budenholzer as the Suns’ new head coach and do you believe he will have more success than Vogel with this roster? GuarGuar: I’m pretty neutral on the Budenholzer hire. I will be honest and say I was hoping for someone young and new and not a recycled coach. But he does have a solid resume and hopefully will modernize our offense. I have concerns about his defensive coverages historically but maybe that was a personnel thing. He seems to be a great coach for the regular season and our best chance of a title starts with getting homecourt advantage. I hope he has the ear of our stars. Brrrberry: I’m ambivalent unfortunately. The names my buddy and I discussed that I had the strongest affinity for were in order (1) Sam Cassell (2) Dawn Staley and (3) Jared Dudley. I hesitate to mention names at this point because it’s water under the bridge, but more so to allude to the fact I do question whether we’re on the cutting edge like the organization likes to think they are and ultimately are aiming to be. I think as a game tactician Bud should be an improvement over Vogel so I’d classify the move as slightly above lateral, potentially even a full step up. The fact he’s a Pop disciple is what has me the most excited. The fact Giannis didn’t fight for him after winning a chip 12 months previously does make me worry a bit. The most important aspect I think this team needs is accountability from a coach that they’d allow for a coach to be on their ass (yell, curse etc) while knowing that it’s all love and that coach has their best interests in mind. It takes a unique type of coach to build that relationship on the fly/quickly with the entitled players of today’s game and I don’t know if Bud is a master at that or not. All I know is that Bucks team he led to the finals was a JUGGERNAUT, and was definitely the most talented roster in the league that year so my belief is Bud isn’t the only guy that could’ve gotten them to the finish line. I’m definitely rooting strongly for his success and as I posted the other day, hoping this isn’t the first contract he signs with the team. Sam Cassell would’ve been who I’d have hired though. Rod: Personally, I’m happier that Mike is going to be allowed to select his own assistants than for having him as the new head coach. I’m certainly not against his hiring, just not particularly excited about it... and much of that may be due to the fact that it is difficult to get excited anything to do with the Suns at the moment. It just doesn’t seem to pay to get your expectations too high when you’re a Suns fan. All in all, I do believe coach Bud should be able to get better results offensively (if for no other reason than continuity) but defense is still likely going to be a question mark. If the roster remains largely intact with no significant additions (especially adding at least a backup PG and beefing up the center rotation), I do not have a high level of confidence in seeing a big change in the results from this past season in 2024-25. Hopefully he can find a way to keep everyone motivated and locked in which I think could be his biggest challenge. I don’t know if that would be enough to get the team over the hump and back into title contention but it would likely at least make the team more competitive night to night (on both ends of the court) and more fun to watch. Q2 - The Suns still have until July 1 before the most severe 2nd apron trade restrictions kick in (no aggregating salaries, only 100% or less salary in return, etc.). What do you hope they can accomplish between now and July 1? GuarGuar: I hope they do something. I don’t think they can run back this exact roster. I will be honest and say I don’t have an exact answer of what to do or what I even want. What I do know is they cannot run back this exact roster. So hopefully the front office has a good plan! I’m open to change! Brrrberry: Secure a PG that can be a key contributor next season. I don’t care if it’s a rookie diamond in the rough or if they’re trading first round picks for that guy but we need a PG. Alex Caruso please. Rod: First, they need to explore every possible trade option before the more severe restrictions begin. If the return is good enough, I won’t mind them using draft picks to get the job done. I don’t believe that they will actively be shopping Beal, Book or KD but they shouldn’t be shutting down that possibility if other teams want to make them an offer. After July 1 their flexibility in making trades will be very limited so they have to make the most of it if possible. That being said, I believe there are some players that will be available in the draft at 22 that the Suns should consider viable options if a roster upgrade through a trade isn’t available. In that case, I wouldn’t be opposed to trading down a bit in this draft if the Suns could also obtain a 2nd round pick in the process. In this scenario, number one on my wish list would be a trade with the Knicks who have the 24th and 25th picks in the first round plus the 38th pick in the second. Would they be willing to trade either 24 or 25 plus 38 for 22? You never know if you don’t ask and I believe that it’s possible the Suns could possibly also get a useful bench/rotation player at 38. Q3 - One of the lesser talked about new rules in the CBA is that teams can now start negotiating with their own free agents as soon as their season ends instead of having to wait until July 1. Do you believe this will help the Suns in retaining Royce O’Neale and/or Bol Bol? GuarGuar: I do think this will give us an advantage when it comes to re-signing those guys. I don’t think tampering will suddenly stop though, as we saw last year with Drew Eubanks! I’m hopeful that we can retain both. Brrrberry: It can only help. If I’m Bol I’m bolting unless I’m guaranteed a consistent role. That was the one guy we flat out misused last season in so far as he’s a guy that could’ve had an impact in that Wolves series. He was undoubtedly a net positive on the floor which is saying a lot for a guy that got spotty minutes and not an easy task when you’re coming in cold and not getting any type of extended minutes. O’Neale is a guy that makes our roster better overall and I’ll be impressed with Ishbia’s financial resolve if he resigns him with the significant luxury tax implications. I think it’s important that we do with our cap situation and the uber restrictive CBA. Reason being is we need as many trade chips as possible for roster flexibility and having a guy that can hoop a bit on a reasonable deal is likely a contract we can use to bring in other talent. I wouldn’t blame Ishbia if he didn’t foot the bill after the way we flamed out, though it would be a bit concerning as it’d signify he does have some type of limit as to what he’ll do to field the best team possible and I’d like him to continue his free wheeling ways as long as possible. Rod: It will help some and maybe even a lot in O’Neale’s case given Mat Ishbia’s tendency to shell out whatever cash is necessary. If Royce is determined to test the free agency waters, it gives the Suns the first chance to officially make him an offer and let him know just how much they want him to stay. I wouldn’t doubt that Mat’s already had people working on what the best offer he would likely get is and is prepared to up that a bit to keep him. Whether you like O’Neale or not, letting him walk in free agency leaves the Suns with only a veteran minimum contract player to replace him and that would 90% likely be a talent downgrade. With Bol, the Suns are very limited on what they can offer cash-wise because they do not have even early Bird rights on him but I honestly don’t think that he showed enough in the limited minutes he played for the Suns to make him a hot FA commodity. That might play more of a role in bringing him back than the Suns being able to talk with him first but every little bit helps, especially when you’re very limited in what you can offer. Detroit Pistons just 10 games into their 1971-72 season. This week’s poll is... Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2024 ... ore-july-1