As we continue to navigate the offseason, there are plenty of names worth looking at and analyzing as potential fits for the Phoenix Suns. We know this roster most likely is not going to experience a ton of turnover, which naturally makes some of the unrestricted free agent options feel more like pipe dreams than realistic additions.
That being said, if we’re talking pipe dreams, there is one player expected to hit the market soon who I’d absolutely like to see Phoenix explore, and that’s sixth-year big man Jonathan Isaac out of Florida State. The Orlando Magic are rumored to have interest in buying him out this offseason, and if that happens, a high-level defensive big is suddenly available.
And I know how this goes. Every time a player becomes available, everybody races to their keyboard and starts firing off reasons the Suns should go get him. If you know me, that’s usually not something I lean into. I try not to chase every shiny new name that pops up on the market.
Advertisement
With Isaac, though, this feels different. Drafted 6th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, he is somebody I genuinely think the organization should take a long look at. The 6’10”, 230-pound Isaac is certainly more intriguing than a lot of the names likely to be available in unrestricted free agency.
I don’t view him as a starting-caliber power forward at this point in his career. I do see somebody who could help with size and depth at the four, which is an area Phoenix could absolutely use more of. Spot rotational minutes feel like a realistic fit if he were to land in the Valley.
Isaac has always had an interesting career. He’s flashed his defensive ability plenty of times, and there were stretches in Orlando when he and Jalen Suggs came off the bench together and the Orlando Magic looked downright suffocating on that end of the floor. Just two seasons ago, he came in 9th in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
The challenge has always been consistency, both with his health and his offensive game. He played in 52 games last season, averaging 10 minutes, 2.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks. He’s a career 31.6% shooter from beyond the arc, so floor spacing is not what you’re bringing him in for. The value comes on the interior, where his length, rebounding, and defensive instincts can still impact a game.
The Orlando Magic appear ready to move on from the 28-year-old big, and as they continue trying to climb out of the Eastern Conference mud, parting ways with Isaac creates an opportunity for them to fortify other areas of the roster.
Advertisement
That’s where Phoenix could benefit. The Suns would not need to bring Isaac in on a massive deal. They could offer the taxpayer a mid-level exception at $6 million for up to two years. Sure, the non-taxpayer mid-level exception at $15 million exists, though that would hard cap Phoenix at the first apron, and Isaac simply is not worth that number. At $6 million, though? That feels like a solid price for a back-end rotational power forward. Sure, that most likely means the Suns are moving off of another contract (if they plan on staying below the luxury tax line), but all possibilities should be explored.
And if we’re talking about players who fit the mold of the identity Phoenix built last season, Isaac checks plenty of boxes. He’s physical, he plays with an edge, and he brings the kind of defensive mentality that helped define the 2025–26 Suns. That’s why he’s somebody I’d absolutely like to see Phoenix explore.
His addition would be a targeted depth addition tied directly to the identity the Suns spent all of last season trying to establish. More size. More length. More defensive versatility. More players willing to make life miserable on the other end of the floor.
Advertisement
The health concerns are real, and they always will be with Isaac. That risk doesn’t disappear. At the right number and in the right role, though, Phoenix wouldn’t need him to be a savior. They’d need him to defend, rebound, and strengthen the kind of gritty, physical rotation that quietly became part of the Suns’ personality last season.
Read the full article here