Phoenix Suns Lose 2nd-Round Pick for Drew Eubanks Tampering Ahead of Free Agency

The Phoenix Suns were docked a 2024 second-round draft pick after the NBA found they "engaged in free agency discussions involving Drew Eubanks prior to the date when such discussions were permitted."

Eubanks signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Suns in July. He emerged as a quality rotation big man last season with the Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 6.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, but is not the type of free agent you'd typically expect to have tampering charges revolve around.

The Suns' desperation to land quality rotation players at the minimum might have created a situation where they impermissibly contacted Ebanks before he was officially a free agent. Phoenix did not have access to anything besides veteran's minimum contracts to hand out in free agency due to the contracts of Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton putting them well above the luxury tax.

While the team would later trade Ayton and break up his contract into three role players (Jusuf Nurkić, Grayson Allen and Nassir Little), that deal did not take place until late September. From mid-July until that trade, the Suns' whole roster was minimum contracts outside of their top four players.

Veterans like Eric Gordon and Damion Lee took a chance to compete for a championship, but the rest of the roster remains shaky outside the top of the rotation.