2016 NBA Free Agency: 1 move every team needs to make to be contenders

Phoenix Suns

The Suns are one of those teams that are pretty well set up to compete for the future. They just drafted Dragan Bender, another lean and young European center in the same style as Kristaps Porzingis. He joins a rookie class with Marquese Chriss and Tyler Ulis, two rough buy-low rookies with high potential. Any team with three rookies that will each need playing time to develop isn’t quite primed to compete in 2016, especially in the Western Conference.

Still, the Suns have enough of a veteran presence that they won’t be tanking (at least not on purpose). Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight are one of the better backcourts in this league and while Tyson Chandler is past his prime he still has the skills of a mobile center that most teams are dying to sign this offseason. If P.J. Tucker and Devin Booker continue to progress, this team could improve. But it’s a long ways up from 14th place in the West to an 8th seed. Unless Dragan Bender is actually “the Doctor” as his outfit suggests and can time travel to a future where these rookies are ready to compete, it’s another year out for the Suns.

One way they could try to compete is to move Alex Len. He’s an odd man our with Chandler and now Bender. Len isn’t a bad option as a backup center but he could bring in a wing player that could help the Suns win now. I just don’t know if that will be a priority for an organization trying to group a very young team.

Next: Portland Trail Blazers