Phoenix Suns DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic is in line to shoot more threes this season after Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said they want to "push the envelope" with Nurkic shooting threes. Nurkic has not been a good three point shooter in his career, making threes at a 28% clip. He had two decent seasons from deep with Portland, shooting 40% from three in 2020-2021 and 36.1% in 2022-2023. However, he's never averaged more than 2.3 threes per game. From a fantasy perspective this may not be the prettiest development when it's put into place, but it should result in a couple more points for the 30-year-old. From a basketball perspective, this will open up the floor more for the Suns' other key starters to drive to the hoop. Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal may see more space to drive as Nurkic slides into a Brook Lopez-esque role that worked well with Budenholzer in Milwaukee. Fantasy managers should at least be intrigued by Nurkic shooting more threes and what it can do for his fantasy value if he's able to hit two a game.

Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards has reportedly been on the New York Knicks' radar this offseason. The Knicks lack frontcourt options and have been linked with multiple big men. Richards is among them, and he could come in on a team-friendly contract, as the seven-foot Jamaican is only due to be paid $5 million in each of the next two seasons. Richards, a former second-round pick, had a solid campaign with the Hornets in 2023-24, averaging 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 26.3 minutes. He boosted his numbers to 10.1 points, 8.8 boards, and 1.2 swats as a starter.

Point guard Saben Lee will spend the 2024-25 campaign overseas. The 25-year-old has agreed a deal with Manisa in Turkey. Lee takes his talents to Europe following 134 NBA appearances. After being a second-round selection in the 2020 draft, Lee made his debut with the Detroit Pistons in 2020-21. He also featured for the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns. Last season, Lee averaged 7.7 minutes across 24 games in Phoenix, posting 3.0 points with 1.3 assists. The Vanderbilt product has notched 5.2 points and 2.8 assists overall in his NBA career.

Phoenix Suns guard/forward Grayson Allen is committed to staying healthy this season. While the former Duke Blue Devil logged 75 games during the regular season, he was limited in the playoffs due to injury. As a result, he hopes the time spent this offseason working on his body will allow him to remain on the floor. Allen, who signed a four-year, $70 million extension with the Suns in April, averaged 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists during the 2023-24 campaign. He also shot a career-high 46.1% from behind the arc. With Tyus Jones now on the roster, Allen may come off the bench. However, the Suns lack depth outside of the starting lineup, so the 28-year-old should continue to get enough minutes to remain relevant for fantasy managers.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Phoenix Suns forward/center Bol Bol plans to sign a one-year deal to return to the team. Bol finished the 2023-24 campaign by averaging 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 42.3% from behind the arc. The 24-year-old will provide much-needed bench depth for a team hoping to enter the championship conversation. However, Bol, who averaged 10.9 minutes per contest last season, isn't expected to be a reliable contributor for fantasy managers in 2024-25.