The 2024 Las Vegas Summer League is soon approaching, and the Phoenix Suns will get their first glimpse at some of the most fascinating talents the team has acquired in some time.
This summer will also mark the debut of the Valley Suns, the Suns’ revamped expansion G League club, which will play home games at Arizona State’s Mullett Arena in Tempe this season.
Who are the players on the roster who have the most to prove or who have the potential to advance in the G League?
Colin Gillespie
Gillespie recently signed a two-way contract with Phoenix, and it appears to have been a worthwhile gamble.
The former Villanova star has spent the first two seasons of his career in the G-League with the Denver Nuggets, but he has more than demonstrated the ability to play at the next level during those opportunities.
Gillespie is already 25 years old and has athletic limitations, but if he continues to impress in Tempe, he might become a possible backup point guard.
Oso Ighodaro
Ighodaro signed an NBA-scale contract, but he can still be sent to the G-League this season, which appears to be in the works with Mason Plumlee’s signing.
The Arizona native is a strong athlete, a superb passer, and a high motor, all of which he developed throughout his three seasons at Marquette.
The Valley Suns could be the ideal environment for Ighodaro to crush competition in the development league as a rookie, with the goal of being a long-term rotation steal that Phoenix acquired in round 2.
Jalen Bridges
Bridges has been well-documented as perhaps being a conventional “3&D” wing; many people were surprised that Bridges even came close to being undrafted, given everything.
As a senior in 2023-24, the Baylor product shot over 40% from three-point range and led his team in scoring six times on his way to being a vital player on a top-15 team in the country.
Bridges might be a true diamond in the rough for Phoenix, and the Valley Suns will benefit from having him in their inaugural season.
