Phoenix Suns NBA free agency primer: What to know
Jun 26, 2017, 6:14 AM | Updated: 5:46 pm
A new NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement kicks in on July 1 with a projected salary cap of $99 million.
From the Phoenix Suns’ perspective, the new free agency rules don’t change much. Building around a young core continues, and barring a major blockbuster, general manager Ryan McDonough has fine roster balance after the draft and more than enough financial flexibility.
The Suns have the space to sign starting-caliber role players without trouble.
Before we dive into potential free agent moves Phoenix could make outside of the roster, there is in-house business to deal with.
With the help of Basketball Insiders’ Eric Pincus, here are key dates and key decisions the Suns must make in the next few weeks.
Expected NBA salary cap: $99 million
The NBA’s floor, cap and luxury tax thresholds will be set at the end of June.
Suns salary total: $65.9 million guaranteed, or $78.1 million including all non-guaranteed deals and qualifying offers extended.
Who’s a free agent?
Alex Len (restricted), Alan Williams (restricted) and Ronnie Price (unrestricted) are free agents. The Suns can extend qualifying offers to Len and Williams and must do so by June 29. It would be surprising if Phoenix did not make them restricted free agents considering the Suns are, by all appearances, not in the running to chase after a star player with the need to open up as much cap space as possible.
Len ($12 million), Williams ($1.7 million) and Price ($1.5 million) have holds against the Suns’ cap — unless the team lets them walk.
Under the new CBA, the Suns will have two days to match another team’s offer to Len or Williams if they sign an offer sheet.
Whose salaries are not guaranteed?
– Leandro Barbosa $4,000,000 ($500,000 guaranteed)
– Derrick Jones $1,312,611
– Elijah Millsap $1,524,305
Barbosa’s $4 million guarantees if Phoenix does not waive him by July 3. Jones and Millsap have their salaries fully guaranteed if they are on the team by Jan. 10, 2018.
A new moratorium
The NBA’s July free agency moratorium — the period where a free agent player and a team can negotiate a contract — runs July 1 through July 6. The agreements cannot be signed during that time.
