The Phoenix Suns could use their final roster spot to re-sign Josh Okogie, according to multiple reports.
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The latest report from HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto says discussions are active between the two sides and Okogie could possibly get a multi-year deal from Phoenix:
“The Phoenix Suns have had dialogue with Josh Okogie on a potential return over the past several days, league sources told HoopsHype. The two sides have discussed the possibility of a multi-year deal, HoopsHype has learned.
It’s worth noting in these discussions that Phoenix has Early Bird Rights on Okogie.
Over the past two seasons, Okogie has been a role player for Phoenix, providing defense, and started 37 combined games.”
Okogie opted out of his $2.95 million player option with and became a free agent on June 28. Shortly after, a report by PHNX’s Gerald Bourguet suggested Phoenix could bring him back for more than a veteran-minimum deal.
The Suns have Okogie's Early Bird rights, which allows a team to re-sign a player for 175% of his previous salary or 105% of the league-average salary in the previous season, whichever is greater.
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) June 28, 2024
With the Suns holding Okogie’s early birds rights, they can sign him for a deal of up to $4.93 million next season (175% of his previous salary).
Okogie re-signed with Phoenix last summer after spending the 2022-23 season in the Valley.
He appeared in 60 games in the 2023-24 season, logging 11 starts early in the season, but did not see much playing time after suffering a lower abdominal at the beginning of March. There was an argument to be made that Okogie should have been the team’s fifth starter entering the season after showcasing an improved 3-point shot in the preseason and starting 26 games with Phoenix in the 2022-23 season, including all eight that Kevin Durant played in.
However, Okogie’s minutes decreasing late in the season was largely due to the fact that, although he was arguably the team’s best defender and hustle player, he ended the year shooting 30.9% from 3. In his second season with Phoenix, Okogie’s points-per-game average dropped from 7.2 to 4.6 in 16.0 minutes per game, but he did also average 2.6 rebounds (1.2 offensive).
In the Suns’ first-round sweep against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Okogie’s former team, former Suns coach Frank Vogel plugged Okogie in more than usual in Games 3 and 4 (23 minutes total) in a last-ditch effort to try to get something to work, despite him not seeing the floor much leading up to the playoffs. Okogie performed well, shooting 4-for-6 combined from the field in these two games, while being tasked with guarding Anthony Edwards.
Vogel was eventually fired and replaced by new coach Mike Budenholzer on May 11.
Okogie, 25, will be entering his seventh year in the NBA next season.
Phoenix has only signed two incoming free agents and also drafted two rookies this offseason, as it aims for an approach centered around continuity going into next season. Okogie would presumably have some difficulty seeing the floor again in Phoenix if his shot doesn’t improve, as the team drafted defensive-minded forward Ryan Dunn and has a pretty clear top-5 bench rotation of Monte Morris, Royce O’Neale/Grayson Allen, Dunn, Bol Bol and Mason Plumlee.
See our Suns’ free agency tracker below:
