Bol Bol Trade News: The Phoenix Suns have had an impressive offseason, acquiring Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant to form a formidable offensive trio with Devin Booker. Despite financial constraints, General Manager James Jones has managed to build a strong supporting roster around them. One intriguing addition is Bol Bol, who enters his fifth season with potential but limited game experience. Bol’s skill set includes size for rim protection, shooting ability, and ball-handling skills, making him a valuable asset off the bench. With Bol bolstering the second unit, the Suns are poised to have a strong team overall.
Phoenix Suns – Bol Bol Trade: Why Trade Payne away now?
The Phoenix Suns made the decision to trade Cameron Payne instead of waiving him to alleviate their luxury tax burden. While waiving Payne would have resulted in a $2 million hit on the team’s books, the tax penalties would have made it closer to $10 million. By trading him, the Suns were able to eliminate the $10 million altogether. Although this approach cost the Suns some cash and a future draft pick, it created a valuable $6.5 million trade exception that could be utilized during the trade deadline.
Who is stopping this Phoenix Suns team from reaching the NBA Finals? 🤔
🔸 Bradley Beal
🔸 Devin Booker
🔸 Kevin Durant
🔸 Bol Bol
🔸 Deandre Ayton pic.twitter.com/pIvmQCQzN4— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 16, 2023
Bol Bol has agreed on a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/KN4PzU2UmB
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 16, 2023
The trade raises questions about who will fill the backup point guard role for the Suns now that Payne is gone. Goodwin is the only nominal point guard on the main roster, although he played primarily as a combo guard in Washington. Another option is the athletic but inconsistent Lee, who would need to be upgraded from his two-way contract to be eligible for the playoffs. The Suns will need to address this position to ensure they have a reliable backup for their starting point guard moving forward.
Phoenix Suns – Bol Bol Trade: The Strategy Behind the Move
The Phoenix Suns have taken on a high-risk strategy by signing Bol Bol to a minimum deal and acquiring multiple second-round picks through trades. This approach provides the Suns with additional trade assets to strengthen their current roster. The top-heavy nature of the team, with four players on max contracts and the rest on minimum deals, makes it challenging to trade for players in the “middle class” unless they find a way to use Cameron Payne’s $6.5 million salary as a matching piece or explore trading Deandre Ayton for multiple minor contracts.
Bol Bol, 23, has joined the Phoenix Suns after being waived by the Orlando Magic. Coming off his best season, Bol averaged 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 70 games for the Magic. Previously, he had limited game time with the Denver Nuggets in his first three NBA seasons. A trade attempt by the Detroit Pistons in 2022 was voided due to a physical issue before Bol signed with Orlando.
