Should Jalen Green Or Devin Booker Be The Suns Point Guard + Kuminga News & Brendon Bids Farewell!

Should Jalen Green Or Devin Booker Be The Suns Point Guard + Kuminga News & Brendon Bids Farewell!

Today on Locked on Phoenix Suns, we’ve talked about the fit of Jaylen Green and Devin Booker, but who’s going to be the point guard of the team? Which guy’s actually going to initiate the offense? That’s pretty important, right? Does it matter actually? Let’s go. You are Locked On Suns, your daily Phoenix Suns podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. Welcome back into Locked On Phoenix Suns. My name is Benjamin Garcia, host of the Ben Garcia Show Mornings and a credentialed Suns media member. Thanks for making Locked on Suns first listen on this Friday edition. And don’t forget that lock on Suns are free and available on all platforms including YouTube. So click that follow or subscribe button to do what thousands, dare I say millions of Suns fans have done every day, become an everydayer and get locked onto the Phoenix Suns here each and every day. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel right now. New customers can get $150 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. Joining me for the last time regularly, a staff writer over at Awful Announcing, a credentialed Suns media member, and one of the godfathers of Locked on Phoenix Suns, Brendan Clean, man, as I switch you over ceremonially. How you doing, man? I’m good. This is it. Final one for now. We’ll see what the future holds. I am uh it’s good we actually got some stuff to talk about. We took yesterday off and now there’s some news to catch up on. So, that’s good. It’s not going to be a boring contrived final show here. Yeah. And I see you’re already, you know, getting some of that Mercury stuff out. That was pretty cool with over at PHNX and uh uh you went to the game last night hanging out with BG, your other favorite BG. Uh not just myself or or Brian Gregory. Uh let’s start here, man. Um there was this there’s this debate going on on social media. It’s kind of been put to bed by John Gamador reporting that the offense is going to be initiated by Jaylen Green. I put out something on social media. It’s like it’s Devin Booker or a vet minimum, which to your point that you were that you pointed out correctly was my point being made was is it’s Devin Booker, Jaylen Green, or a vet minimum guy. You’re going to go with one of those two guys. The conversation about getting a point guard, a traditional one in at that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me because we already did that. But I’m really interested. I’m really happy that this is like one of your final shows because this is a good thing to get the good media info that I know you love. Jaylen Green or Devin Booker? Let’s start here. What do you make of Jaylen Green being determined the predetermined starter for the Phoenix Suns at the point guard position? I just want to see what that actually means, right? because it’s it’s deja vu a little bit when we are having this debate because it’s similar to the one that we obviously just went through with Book and Brad for a couple of seasons. And to me like I guess you know seeing the response from some Suns fans today I I guess like that distinction when Frank Vogle especially deemed Bradley Beal the point guard and you know changed some things around to make that possible for him. I guess some people felt like that was a bigger change than I did because yeah, like were there times when Bradley Beal was too involved and too um put in a position to have to initiate when his body and I think his style of play no longer suited him being that and maybe never did. Yeah, there were times like I think people talk about the Minnesota series and that’s fair, but like the numbers for all of the time that this big three was together were basically similar. And then obviously Brad’s role dissipated to almost a negligible one this the end of this past season, but Book had the ball in his hands the most always. Whether you’re talking about time of possession, total touches, whatever it might be. Now, how you’re used, whatever. Touches don’t tell the whole story. I get that. But I think even if we say Jaylen Green is going to be the point guard of the team, I would imagine Devin Booker will still be initiating a ton and making decisions with the basketball in his hands and just as much in control of what happens with this offense as anybody. More more involved in and responsible for what happens with this offense than anybody. So, I guess it’s just what is Jordan not going to do with that title? What does that actually mean? What will it look like? That’s kind of what I want to know. Yeah, and really quickly, I I agree with you with all that. I I wasn’t necessarily surprised. I do think this is kind of thing I was kind of I should have been better about pointing out on social media, but it’s social media is it’s Jaylen Green, Devin Booker, or Vet Minimum Guy or Jordan Goodart or whatever. I never really bought into this idea that it could be anyone outside of Jaylen Green or Devin Booker. And honestly, outside of a couple of days ago, I never really bought into it that it would have been someone outside of Devin Booker. But now that it’s Jaylen Green, I lean more into the idea of on the on the uh uh uh like on the depth chart, he’s going to be listed as the point guard for the Suns. But on a on a playinplayout basis, it depends what sets they’re going to be in. It depends if they’re going to run a play for a book, a run a play for Green. If they’re going to play with as much pace that they we want them to play with, I mean, how much does it really matter? Like half the time one of those guys is getting the ball, there is going to be a return of point Devin Booker because that means when those guy when Jaylen Green’s off the court, guess who’s going to be the point guard now? I highly doubt they give the duties to Jared Butler or Jordan Goodwin. So, um, this was always going to be the case. We can debate if it’s the right thing to do, and that’s what we’ll do now. What would you do you think it’s the right move? Let’s say in a traditional sense because that’s really the only way to debate this thing. Should Jaylen Green be the guy that brings up the ball CP3 style or should it be Devin Booker? I think it should be Devin Booker. I mean, I think Jaylen Green’s catch and shoot three-point shooting we’ve talked about plenty. It’s it’s fluctuated a bit, but I trust that more than his pull-up three-point shooting ability. So, him as a floor spacer, him as a second side attacker, him, you know, getting the ball later in the clock, attacking a broken down defense. I think that’s what he’s sort of I wouldn’t say he’s always done that. There were some early years where he probably had the ball, frankly, too much for his own good. But I I just can see and envision that better. I would say that on I I guess not on the flip side, but to me like we did we have seen like so even if I’m making the distinction that Devin Booker was the guy who had the ball in his hands the most even during like let’s just talk about the Vogal season because that was more competitive and better season. Um, I think we all watched him and could see the the gears turning a little bit more than we were used to with him. It wasn’t uh it wasn’t the most clean and polish season of his career efficiency wise, turnover-wise, just offensive rating wise, whatever. The ball being in Deon Booker’s hands was not this magic elixir that we’re used to it being. So, I I’m not saying that Devin Booker is going to be it’s even how I would necessarily prefer him to be used. I actually do think the ideal version of Devin Booker is a little bit on ball, a little bit off ball. So maybe this isn’t like the worst thing ever. It’s more the Jaylen Green side of it that I worry about because even Rockets people were chiming in with this when this news came down today saying, “Yeah, when he gets into a crowd, when the defense puts pressure on him, when he really has to slice and dice defenses that are designed to stop him, he struggles.” And so it does feel like the Suns are sort of shooting themselves in the foot by locking into that plan when they don’t really have to right now. I know it’s through the media, but now the expectation is set and he’s going to have to try to live up to that. I’m not sure he can. You mentioned a lot of the things that kind of I had written down here that I was preparing for and it’s I think the main thing for me is points are going to be really hard to come by for the Suns as you and I think they will be. Jaylen Green as a pullup, not not as a catch and shoot three-point guy, I like a lot better, like you had mentioned, than a pull-up jump shooter. Same with Devin Booker, if we’re being honest. Devin Booker, as we talked about before, is like no one is going to be great pulling up. So, you kind of it kind of hurt. I’d rather Devin Booker do that than Jaylen Green if I’m just going to pick between the two. Especially I believe in fast breaks. I think Booker is better than that. However, like at the end of the day, I know it’s fun to have the debate, man, but does it really actually matter? We’re having the debate of the sense of like that person is going to bring up the ball every time up the court, but that is not the type of NBA we are in anymore. It is positionless basketball. It is going to be based scheme to scheme, play to play, team to team, what the Suns are going to be running. And if that means and also if de if I I would rather Devin Booker bring the ball up the court because he’s never had lobb threats like Malawatch and Williams over the last couple of seasons or be able to have guys to play off the ball a little bit more. It’s positionless. But I think the reason that people are, you know, understandably a little bit worried and why this argument I think is important is because they’re kind of the only two guys that can do this. Like that is true. Yeah. In theory the NBA is positionless. This team’s not going to be positionless. Ryan Dunn can’t run offense. You know, I think I guess like Grayson Allen and Dylan Brooks, but good luck. That’s not really going to that’s not really an option. And you know, you go from there. It’s it’s young guys who are even younger and even less developed than that. You know, Mark Williams is not going to run Nicole Joic post up, you know, whatever. It’s not going to happen. So, that’s the problem. And that’s where I think like you were saying that oh what what’s all the hubbhub about like a point guard off the trade or free agent market. I don’t think it’s so much that people want a point guard who’s necessarily going to come and the resources are limited. It’s not like somebody’s going to come in and start over Jaylen Green all of a sudden as a as a hailmary move that surprises all of us. It’s more just another person who can create offense at all. And I think that that’s the thing that people still want where I know we’re about to talk about it in the next segment too, but Jordan and God and Jiren Butler don’t really appear to be that either. So I think that that’s that’s why this that this how they’ve set up the offense is going to be so important because there’s only two dudes who can create and deploying them correctly and having the chemistry between them be as perfect as it can be is going to dictate a lot about how good the Suns are as a team this year. And if they screw it up or they have to pivot halfway through the year, that’s loss time and probably a lot more losses than you want to have. Does it make you feel better though? Cuz I would agree. I would agree with you outside of like, and I’m just thinking of one guy right now that pops in my brain, Malcolm Brogden, who is often injured. I can’t think of anyone on the free agent market that you could just come in to help be a another person that can create some offense. And I’m not saying Malcolm Brogdam is some sort of like amazing offensive player, but Ricky Rubio did that with the Suns when he showed up. He helped facilitate offense for this team. I thought Campaign could potentially do that, but the Suns through Gambo kept axing every single one. So, does it make you feel a little bit better that it feels like they’re not just like they’re saying no to those guys because it feels like maybe they have a plan? Yeah, they clearly feel confident in it. And, you know, I don’t want to overlook Colin Gillespie. Obviously, he’s part of this team. I just don’t think of him as somebody who can really create, you know, by himself cuz he’s smaller. He’s not a great athlete. You know, his shot, he’s not, he has a slow release, so he can’t really bomb away from, you know, pull up threes. There’s just a lot of things that are limiting about him. I think of him more as a transition open floor player, somebody who can play on or off the ball, make threes to space if somebody else has the ball, etc. So, it’s maybe partially that they believe in him to get better at doing some of that stuff and maybe that yeah, they clearly just trust that Book and and Jaylen can do it. It’s just a lot to ask and I just continue to believe that this team’s going to have to be amazing on defense in order to to be competitive because otherwise I just don’t think that this offense is going to be able to be good enough to to probably even be league average. I think it might even be worse than that. That is uh absolutely fair. Uh, here’s where I would go with it. Just just lastly, I think the Suns are handed a bunch of really bad options, consequences that of their own actions and they’re making the best of it. I would rather Jaylen Green and Devin Booker figure it out in the court. Hopefully that works out then bring in someone else outside of like a Malcolm Brogden because that that’s kind of where it is, man. I think this is their best option, but we can all still agree it’s not the most ideal option, but I can see the vision for it for now. Until the season comes, that could could definitely spiral out of control. However, though, that is not the only thing the Phoenix Suns have been doing. They have also signed two more players. They made it official today through the media, Jared Butler and Jordan Goodwin. You guys are up to bat. Let’s talk about that next. First, today’s show is brought to you by Game Time. As I go ahead and find the little ticker right there, uh G, have you ever decided at the last minute to head to a ball game with friends or family? Maybe it’s game day and you suddenly realize you want to be in the stands? It’s exactly where game time comes in. It’s the easiest way to grab last minute tickets without the stress. 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So, take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create a code, and use locked on and use code locked on NBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create a code and redeem code Loca for $20 off. Download the Game Time app today. Lowest minute tickets, lowest prices guaranteed. All right, let’s continue to keep the show rolling on uh Brendan’s retirement tour. I want to continue to remind people of that. Brendan, some people don’t have the message. They’re just going to think that I axed you off, you’re gone, and you’re just never showing up again. Like, you just like you just walked out the door. So, Brendan’s final show regularly scheduling us on this show. Hopefully uh we see him on in the future um as a guest. But the Suns have been busy, man. And listen, I don’t mean to pat myself on the back a little bit. So, we’ll talk about my guy first, Jordan Goodwin. It feels like not too long ago, we’re talking about not just stealing Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards, but Brendan, there’s this guy Jordan Goodwin. He’s Bradley Beal’s bud. He is also a steal in that Sun’s trade. Little did we know, didn’t work out. Jordan Goodwin uh played 40 games for the Suns. Eventually, he was traded. He shot 28% from three. Uh sub 40% from the field overall and 86% from the free throw line, five assists while averaging two assists and two rebounds a game. Um I’ll tell you what I think about it uh after we get your opinion, but Jordan Goodwin coming to the Phoenix Suns. We’ll get to Jared Butler, too. But uh what’ you think? You’re going to break out your I think he wore No, he’s wore number zero. So, we’ll figure out what number he’s going to wear, but we’ll break out the the Jordan Goodman jerseys. Yeah, I don’t need the Photoshop for this one. Um I think I it’s it’s fine. Like the reality is here it’s I I have said that I think that these players will play and I still do um especially by the end of the season. I don’t love like I alluded to in the last segment that Jordan Goodwin is much more of a defensive player. Um it’s they they didn’t exactly have somebody like this and I know that on the defensive end they do want to pressure the ball and be strong at the point of attack. That’s something that the players and the coaches at summer league and the summer league camp kept repeating. So that’s probably the big reason why they have him here. But I don’t love that he’s not really going to do much of the offensive stuff that we were just talking about is still a big need for this team. And I also Yeah, I mean you read the the per game numbers that they’re kind of it’s like whatever, right? like he and he and he played 29 games last year. So, I was excited about him two years ago when he was 24 coming off of a of his first NBA season basically. This now we’ve seen two more from him. He hasn’t gotten a ton better. I think there is still potential and he was solid for the Lakers last year, but I just think he’s probably going to be a defender, maybe like a Don Wright, somebody like that or I guess at the best like a Chris Dunn who had a great season for the Clippers last year. Those guys are helpful, but I think that it’s kind of adding to a strength for the Suns rather than balancing the roster out and filling a need. God, if you could get Chris Dunn out of Jordan Goodwin, that’d be like the the the dream scenario. Um, even though of course like Chris Dunn, you know, he’s the seventh best player on an NBA championship team. Um, I’ll reiterate a lot of the reasons why I was pounding why was I don’t know if I’d say pounding the table, but why I was advocating for Jordan Goodman on this team. I don’t know how much they’re going to play. But it feels like this is more of a culture schematic fit for the Suns than it is actually about, you know, I hate to say this, but more about like the flashy, we’re definitely winning games with this guy. What I like about him come in, be a pesky defender. I don’t have to worry about his minutes every night, but if Booker’s out, I can trust Jordan Goodwin to come in for a game and be a pesky defender. I know offensively it’s basically Josh Aakogi again, but can you go get me a couple of offensive rebounds a night to annoy the other team? Just be that Jose Alvarado type of guy. Annoying defensively. And last year he did shoot 38% from three in 29 games. So maybe that’s improved a little bit. Hit an open three. That’s kind of what I like about this, but I think more of it’s about like tough dude. He’s going to push dudes around. He’s going to try to be a defender. I think Dylon Wright was kind of an interesting uh uh comp for him and that it is what it is. I’m not hyping up Jordan Goodwin for more what he is for more than he is. I think it’s interesting that before I wanted to talk to you about this feels like the roster and then the Kaminga stuff came out and then you’re like, “Okay, well maybe it’s not. Maybe the Suns are still working to improve this roster.” I’ll toss it over to you to Jared Butler who was also uh uh brought to the Suns this year. He’s played one, two, five seasons in the NBA. Last year he played 28 games. Uh 11 and a half points in those games. 87% from free throw, 35% from He played 60 games last year cuz he was split between Washington. So you’re right. You’re right. Technically, he played quite a bit. And that was the breakthrough season for him. I mean, this is a guy, you know, we all saw him play really, really well with that Baylor team next to DaVon Mitchell. And I was really excited about him coming out of college, but he I believe had an injury. He was kind of like medical red red flag type of guy. slipped and then just didn’t really catch on in his NBA career. I think because he was getting right physically and then didn’t catch on anywhere and he already was going to be a unique fit because almost exactly like Goodwin. He’s 6’3 and you know probably needs to develop his offensive skill set out a little bit and that’s hard to find a role with an NBA team to to go ahead and do and this year he finally was able to because he played for a tanking Wizards team and then a Philly team that imploded. So yeah, look, I mean he he took how many total threes? He took 169 total threes and made just under league average. Great. Like I think that that’s solid. He almost had he had an almost 3 to1 assist to turnover ratio. Starting to look more like a real, you know, guy who can at least run some offense, make open shots, and he has, you know, the length and size to at least defend ones and twos for you. Like I think honestly I I know he he he’s in a way I think because Goodwin came to the sun came through the Suns already, we feel like we know more about him. So maybe he feels like more of a sure thing. I actually think Jared Butler might be the guy that actually has a more established NBA skill set that I trust and he’s two years younger, meaning maybe you do give him a little bit of time in the G-League if you if you need to and treat him more like a developmental project or he does come in and do what I just said and does it right away and you don’t need that. But I I like I like everything about this one and I I it’s kind of a long time coming because again I was pretty stoked about him as a Suns option back in the day. Uh he you had mentioned earlier that like he had an injury coming out of the draft or a a concern, right? He had a pretty gnarly he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy a heart condition that where the heart muscle particular part particularly the wall between the heart’s chamber becomes abnormally thick so not like a torn ACL or like something even more major than that where you’re like is this guy gonna be able to play basketball I would assume is some of the worries. So Jared Butler, Jordan Goodwin, both coming to the Phoenix Suns. Both guys that were like, “Cool, probably not going to play a lot. We see the the culture schematic fits, but let’s continue to to to move on.” Last thing to mention there, too, just to distinguish because So Jordan Goodwin was claimed off of waiverss. His contract is not guaranteed until like the middle of January. So they, you know, they could cut him if they need to. The tax, they’re kind of right there. And then Butler, it sounds like according to Gerald Borgay and Gambo both and I think Mark Stein all everybody’s in agreement that this one is more of a training camp deal. So probably non-G guaranteed completely. It might even be one of those um whatever they’re called something 10 exhibit 10 deal just bring him in for for training camp deals or something. Yeah. So, I think that, you know, both of these guys are are sort of flyers and the Suns are treating them as such. But I think both are a position of need obviously and guys who could clearly round out into something that the Suns could really use. And to be fair, to it’s a good point to continue to make the point of Gerald Bor who tweeted this out as well. He actually said verbatim that he thinks Jordan Goodwin and and Butler are going to fight out for one of those last spots like you had kind of just mentioned as well. So, Sun still technically could have another spot open on this team. And that’s where Jonathan Kaminga potentially comes into play. You and I are both kind of like, I’m not so sure that’s going to happen. Gamble kind of went from we’ll see to, yeah, the the rumors are are true. Uh, let’s talk about Jonathan Kaminga potentially being the next Phoenix Sun. The Suns have made an offer. Let’s talk about it next. So, not according to John Gambodoro, but according to Sham Shirania, the Suns and Kings have both reportedly made concrete trade offers to the Warriors for Jonathan Kaminga. However, this not of Sham Shny, this of Brett Seagull, who tweeted out later that this isn’t kind of really big news that the Suns are their package is more centered around Grayson Allen and the Warriors don’t really want Grayson Allen’s contract. However, I did think it was something that a guy in Gambo who was really quick to to to shut down reports, someone asked Gambo, “What’s the word on this?” And Gambo said, “Yes, we have not ruled out Kaminga. The Suns like him. They have had discussions with the Warriors. Belief was it would be hard to do, but they continue to look for avenues.” You know, I’ll just keep it like that. Instant reaction. Are you kind of feeling a little bit more inclined to the idea that Jonathan Kaminga could be a part of the Phoenix Suns? Um, yeah. I guess. And then I want to ask you something else. mostly because I we’ve heard that they’ve made concrete offers. Not so much. Gambo’s tune hasn’t changed. I mean, since the minute that this first came out. Okay. No, he said he said on the first day that this rumor came out from wherever it originated that he believes that the Suns are definitely interested in Kaminga and could see it happening. So, I mean, but I think that the more the the part that matters more than what Gambo thinks is how the Suns get the trade done. um because he can’t will into existence the Warriors liking the Suns players. And that’s the problem I think right now. Um you know, they have a handful of seconds. They have like I think it’s three spot track is showing like six. That’s not I’ve seen that. I I I couldn’t figure it out either, but I can check on something else. And and they have, you know, very very little in terms of first round picks to try to do anything with here either. I think that the thing is going to be because I look at this article from clutch points that you mentioned Ben and I don’t the Suns side of it is one thing their offer appears to be like de Devin Carter Dario Sharich in a first honestly I think that’s probably actually still better than the Suns and even then the Warriors are playing hard ball and saying we want Keegan Murray or we want Keon Ellis if that’s where the Kings discussions are the Suns can’t even get in the realm of that like I want to ask you hey could if would you be willing to part ways with Oso Eigodaro in order to get um Jonathan Kaminga? But I don’t even know if that gets it done. Like I I think the Kings just appear to be in the driver’s seat here if Kaminga is going to get traded at all, which he doesn’t even have to be traded. Well, he doesn’t have to be traded, but it does feel like the writing is on the wall a little bit where maybe you are right. Maybe the like I think Kaminga has it’s in the NBA now. It’s a playerdriven league. I don’t think he has a ton of leverage. It’s not what I’m saying, but I do think he could make it known leverage this and this only. And I’m not advocating that this is insane leverage. If you are the Kings and you are giving up someone like Devon, like Deon, Devon Carter, who was pretty good in the summer league, started to look a little bit better there, a pro potentially promising young player. You want to know that Jonathan Kaminga wants to be a part of the Kings. He could tell the Kings, I have no interest in being a part of you. I’d rather be a son or a warrior. And I think that could potentially help. But I I’ll I’ll agree most of the most of the leverage if not all. Yeah. But the Warriors don’t have to trade him. They don’t have to trade him. No. Like we did this with people in the Valley will will have this exact memory in their head because we all went through this with DeAndre Aton. And what happened? He came back and yeah, he eventually got traded and we kind of still knew the writing was on the wall. I’m not saying Kaminga is going to retire a warrior, but I’m saying he doesn’t have to get traded tomorrow. They could sign him to a contract and trade him in February. They could sign him to a contract and trade him next summer. They could whatever. You know, there’s a million ways that this could go. So, I just want people to remember that because sometimes when there’s so many trade talks about a player, we we turn it into this sweep stakes like Lowry Markin in another example. He’s still on the Jazz. Yeah. Like these players don’t always just go somewhere. So, he could just stay in place in Golden State and keep getting DMPS and they’ll kick the can down the road. And just so we’re clear, I’m not I I actually am a little bit more skeptical of the Jon of the Jonathan Kaminga Suns pairing because I think it’s going to cost like some draft capital and the Suns don’t have a lot of that. And I wonder about the fit. Yes, he’s going to add scoring, but what else is he going to add? Is he going to be the four on this team? And if that’s the case, you’re talking about a six seven uh four who’s not a defensive-minded guy like Ryan Dunn is. And that worries me a bit. Just really quickly while I have you here, uh what do you think with Jonathan Kvinga? Do you think he is if if the if he were to come to the Suns, is it Brooks going to the bench or is it done going to the bench? Probably uh that’s a good question because I think it’s Brooks, dude. I would say Brooks, too. But at that point, this starting lineup has no shooting. Like no shooting. So, I don’t know. Yeah. I mean, I I like even that’s why I think like, you know, when I say that Kaminga doesn’t have to be traded now, he also could get traded later and it still be the Suns. Like maybe Brooks makes sense to go to Golden State for a trade like this and they like him more. I mean, I there’s a there’s so many possibilities. Um, but I mean my question back to you, even though it does feel like the Sacramento offer is just better even maybe than this one hypothetically, but would you let’s say all the seconds that the Suns have, whatever that is, just to put it all in a box and then Grayson and whatever else. But yeah, the the point being, would you include Oso? I would include Oso and I would include all the Suns second round picks because they are just seconds and you can get them like they’re not exactly super tough to get. Like next year if the Suns don’t want to make a first round pick, they could probably get three or four second round picks for it. So like you can get second round picks. That is not hard to do. Um and yeah, I’d move OSO. I I’d move. He also just like to your point about the fit like him being a four and whatever. I think it’s a it’s a interesting conversation because we’ve talked over and over with Fleming, with Oso, with whoever that the Suns appear to be targeting a very big athletic four. You know, if you want to call it their Evan Mobley, that’s not what Jonathan Kaminga is, but he kind of has to be a four because he can’t shoot well right now. So, if you play him next to another non-shooter like we were just kind of talking about with Ryan Dunn, you start to run into real issues. So yeah, his fit here is a fascinating wrinkle within this of it seems to be a very different structure than the Suns have operated with with all their other moves. Like maybe before Brooks got here, I I could have understood it a little bit more, but right now it’s hard to imagine what they would think Jonathan Kaminga would do for this team other than obviously just, hey, he gets buckets, he gets points, and he’s young, which is why I’m behind it. But like once they actually roll the ball out and play games, I have no idea what how he would be deployed by Jordan. I I I Jon Jonathan Kaminga is like sweets. I love sweets. I love Jonathan Kaminga. Too much of it probably isn’t great for me. And I I think in this like it’s fun. I think the Suns need to go back to the meat and potatoes. wait a little bit and maybe cash an Oso for someone else later on because I wouldn’t say it’s like super redundant outside of the fact that they have no shooters. I just don’t know if it’s the right piece for the Suns and also if I’m going to start that guy potentially at the four. I know he’s hyper athletic, but that’s kind of a small 4 through one lineup and not a lot of defense there either. I know Brooks is like a he’s a tough guy. I don’t know if I’d say he’s the best defender for like a starter when you’re going to ask him to go take on the other team’s best player. So, um I’ll leave it there, man. It’ll be interesting. I would probably agree with you. I think he’d end up with the Kings, but I thought we would have shot this down by now and we haven’t. Um did you have anything else to say on Kaminga before we say something else? Okay. Seems like they want him. This is what is most important tonight. Literally, this is what is most important. Uh uh Brendan Clean, it is your final show as a regularly scheduled appearance co-host of Locked on Phoenix Suns. You are leaving the Locked On podcast network. You are going to go take whatever time to yourself and maybe and of course just so we’re clear everyone like I want Brendan back as often as I can get him. However, he’s got other things he’s got to do bigger fish to fry. I know at some point he will be back on the show as a guest appearance every now and then. But for now, man, it’s it’s bid you farewell. I said it before, I say it again. You have meant so much to my career and indirectly my family helping pave the way for my career. I know at times I can be a headcase. I can say crazy things. Our personalities might even butttheads on the air, but seriously, you have been the greatest co-host, co-partner that I could have. And it genuinely sucks that you’re leaving, man. So, that’s what I’ll say. I’ll probably say something else to you later off the air as well, cuz so it’s not all performative. Uh, but I’ll let you take it here, man. I mean, you got 60 seconds. No, I’m kidding. Go for it, man. No, I appreciate that, man. That’s that’s very nice of you. Um, it’s been uh I wish that our year together could have gone better from a things to talk about standpoint, a team to cover cuz it was pretty awful, but you know, it can’t control that. Um, yeah. No, thank you to everybody who sent messages online on in the comments section, on Twitter, whatever. It’s been uh cool to see. I wish more of you would have come out of the woodwork when I wanted like, “Hey, what’ you think of the show or send your thoughts or questions? I’ll talk about whatever.” But I know people are busy. you hear the big news of the move and you’re you’re ready. So, I obviously really love the the comments and the thank yous and just like the little stories of when people would listen like, “Oh, I would you know when I was walking my dog like I always look forward to it or you know, whatever it might be.” It’s cool that you know cuz you imagine that when you like especially people got to remember I did this show solo so many times that it’s like really kind of like lonely in a way and you’re just kind of sitting there talking like I’m I think there’s probably somebody out there with the dog who’s probably going to be listening to this while they walk the dog and like that’d be awesome but you don’t know you know what I mean? you just see like numbers on a screen, you’re like, “Okay, that’s kind of a lot of people. That’s cool.” But, you know, seeing people out in the world throughout the time doing this and then seeing all of you who’ve responded in the comments section and online and everything has been awesome. So, thank you guys for listening. Thank you guys for all the energy and time you put into the show. I’m glad we could have some awesome memories together. I mean, my run doing this show has been like the buildup to some of the coolest times in Sun’s history and then the build back down from that, which is where we are right now. But that’s all right. Um, but yeah, it’s been um it’s been cool to go through it with everybody. It has been um awesome to have the chance. I mean, I was literally in college when I started doing this show. It doesn’t even make sense that I would be a allowed to do something like this, but you guys listened and you built it up to be a thing where I could actually make real money and get notoriety and help my own career and appear on the on TV and on whatever. It’s been uh crazy and awesome. And I mean, I was born and raised here. I’ve said that a hundred times. Like, I know I don’t come across like a fan, but I want the Suns to win games. I want this community to love this team. I want this, you know, this fan base to be happy. So, um, I’m rooting for that still, even though I won’t be doing the show. And yeah, I’ll definitely be back at least as a guest. Ben and I have to figure out what how how it all will look. And I will, uh, you know, share that whenever the time comes if if something can come together. But for now, I’m going to take a very big long break and not think about the Suns much at all, very intentionally. And then I’ll be back sometime later on. But yeah, you can catch me riding at PHNX Phoenix New Times. I’ll still be doing some Suns related and and local sports stuff there. Uh we have a podcast at Awful Announcing if anyone is interested in the crazy world of sports media. It’s called The Playbyplay. Just search it wherever you get podcast, YouTube. And what’s your co-host? Pineapple. His name’s also Ben. It’s Ben Axelrod. Um he’s out in Cleveland. He’s my WWE loving uh Ohio State fanboy friend over there. So we get to uh chop it up about Pat McAfee and all the idiots in sports media whenever uh once a week. So could check that out too if you want to hear my voice yap still if you’re going to miss that at all. But yeah, that’s uh that’s my final message. I I appreciate all of you guys. I appreciate you, Ben. And uh the show will go on. It’ll be right here for you guys. I’m the one leaving, not the Suns content, not the Locked on Podcast Network, not Locked on Suns, not Ben. So, keep it right here. As I’ve said a hundred times, thousand times, a million times. And yeah, that’ll be that’s it. Goodbye. Thank you. Get the get the hell out everyone. Um, no, dude. It is uh it like really like I’m still kind of grieving over it. Like I’m thrilled for you and and everything you’re going to be doing. like at some point you do outgrow things and like like look at just our like our social media following. You’re like quadruple the person I am and like people care about your opinion and at some point like you got to do your own thing, man. And and uh you’re doing a lot of different things now. I think the perfect thing I think you said it perfectly uh on the show on Sunday, which was technically Monday, which was it’s okay to only have one job, which really you have like 1.25 jobs. And you’ve earned that, right, man? you you’ve paved those roads and uh can I just get you for old times sake and just you could please you say no to this if you if you if you don’t want to but we got to do at least one postgame show a year while you’re still in Arizona if you know I don’t know where you you could be going somewhere you know 10 years from now while you’re still in Arizona one postgame show a year at PHX Arena with me one sure let’s do it all right so you will at least hear Brendan once over the next year, but hopefully much more. Yes. You know, we I will text you. We’ll get it all scheduled out before and you’ll tell me that’s what that’s what we’re going to do. But I don’t plan on being at as many games I was last year because it was easier for us to do the show together. But now that I’ll mostly be doing it solo, maybe I’ll still do the same amount, but I will plan it out with you. We’ll be there uh for the final time. Brendan Clean, myself as your regularly scheduled host of Locked On Phoenix Suns. Thank you for making locked on suns a part of your daily routine. Check us out. Check us out on all social media platforms. Uh Brendan, myself, and for Locked on Phoenix Suns, everyone watching, we will talk to you guys tomorrow. Well, at least I will.

Is Jalen Green the answer at point guard for the Phoenix Suns? The NBA landscape shifts as the Suns make moves to bolster their roster.

Benjamin Garcia and Brendon Kleen dissect the potential impact of Green’s role on Devin Booker and the Suns’ offensive strategy. They analyze recent signings Jordan Goodwin and Jared Butler, exploring how these additions might reshape the team’s dynamics. Trade rumors swirl as the hosts debate a possible deal for Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga.

Tune in for insider perspectives on the Suns’ evolving lineup and strategies as they gear up for a pivotal season.

0:00 ONE LAST KLEEN “TUH-DAY” + Who will be the Suns’ point guard?
5:53 Jordan Goodwin and Jared Butler join Suns
13:27 Game Time app for last-minute tickets
18:33 Analyzing Goodwin and Butler’s potential roles
23:59 Jonathan Kuminga trade rumors to Suns
29:53 Debating Kuminga’s fit with Suns roster
34:39 Brendan’s farewell and reflections on show

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