Suns have decisions to make
McDonough weighs picking up contracts of Reed and Ulis
The Suns’ backcourt could have a much different look even before free agency starts Sunday.
Already, Phoenix has decided not to re-sign point guard Elfrid Payton – along with center Alex Len – because it wants to use Payton’s $10 million caphold figure in free agency.
On Friday, the Suns have to decide whether to guarantee the second-year contract ($1.37 million) of guard Davon Reed. Then, on Saturday, the Suns have a deadline as to whether they’ll pick up guard Tyler Ulis’ $1.54 million contract for the 2018-19 season.
General Manager Ryan McDonough has said Phoenix could have between $15 million and $20 million to spend in free agency. To get closer to the $20 million mark, the Suns would have to let both players go.
Renouncing Payton’s rights does leave Phoenix thin in the backcourt. As of Thursday, its point-guard rotation was Brandon Knight, coming off reconstructive knee surgery, and rookie Elie Okobo, who isn’t expected to play significant minutes this season.
Isaiah Canaan, who averaged 9.1 points and four assists in 19 games for Phoenix before fracturing his left ankle on Jan. 31, will be an unrestricted free agent.
Ulis, 22, has shown promise in his first two seasons with the Suns – he averaged 7.8 points and 4.4 assists last season – but he’s also been inconsistent, and his 3point shooting (28.8 percent) flies in the face of Phoenix’s stated desire to put more shooters on the floor.
The Suns could renounce their rights to Ulis, trade him or decide that his $1.54 million deal is manageable enough to keep him on the roster next season.
Reed, the No. 32 overall pick last year, missed the first four months of the season after undergoing knee surgery and played in just 21 games, averaging three points per contest while shooting just 28.9 percent from the field.
Reed did shoot 39.7 percent from 3-point range his senior season at Miami so the Suns might want to keep him and see if, a year removed from knee surgery, he can rediscover his stroke and give Phoenix a 3-and-D guard behind Devin Booker.