Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Projecting Thad Young's Role With Suns

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Suns
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated 2/21/24

The newest member of the Phoenix Suns has officially joined the franchise.

Former Toronto Raptors F Thaddeus Young was released by the Brooklyn Nets following his inclusion of the Spencer Dinwiddie-Dennis Schroeder deal at the NBA's recent trade deadline.

Young officially signed a contract with Phoenix for the remainder of the season Tuesday after nearly a week of reports that a deal was imminent.

Young, 35, has been a primary target for the Suns' front office since at least 2021 - and while he may not be the player he was three years ago, he still can be an effective rotational piece.

Prediction: Young Will Be Part of Playoff Rotation

Young isn't a floor-spacer despite several seasons of posting decent shooting marks. He also isn't nearly as versatile of a defender as he once was due to expected athletic regression.

That certainly doesn't mean that he doesn't bring value to the Suns' prospects in 2024.

Young isn't a ball-stopper, though he can serve as a connector of the offense in the same vain as Jusuf Nurkic, and also still brings versatility to Vogel's defensive scheme due to a high level of IQ.

Most importantly, Young adds a wrinkle to the lineup that previously wasn't there.

Drew Eubanks has proven to be an inconsistent player that shows enough moments of strength to remain relevant. Bol Bol is a very talented player that has played generally well with more consistent playing time, but isn't nearly as strong of a connector as Young.

The main thing Young adds is flexibility.

Coach Frank Vogel now has three bigs sitting behind Nurkic that he can mix-and-match based on potential matchups.

Expect Young to be a fixture in the playoff rotation regardless of matchup, but the addition likely could loom much larger than it appears to be at the moment.

This article first appeared on FanNation Inside The Suns and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: