Phoenix Suns: Predicting Who Stays and Who Goes from 2011-12 Roster

The Phoenix Suns are entering the offseason with the most salary cap room in the league and hopes of staying competitive next season.

They have a lottery pick in this year's draft and if they draft as well as they did last season, they should be fine. Let's break down the roster and see who will be back next season.

Steve Nash

Steve Nash will be a free agent and he has made it clear he wants to win. He is approaching 40 and still does not have a title on his resume.

The two-time MVP will not be returning to Phoenix next season and his departure will usher in a new rebuilding period Suns fans have waited for. It will be very sad to see him leave and even though he will be now matching up against us, I will still be cheering for him to win a championship.

Josh Childress

Childress has one of the worst contracts in the NBA. His production is terrible, but he is set to make more than $13 million over the next two years with a player option that will earn him an extra seven million.

Unfortunately, the Suns are stuck with him. If he showed some promise or improvement than maybe they could find some sort of trade, but as is, there is no team in the league that would be willing to take Childress.

He is staying in Phoenix.

Jared Dudley

Jared Dudley is a solid all-around player who can shoot, play defense, has a high basketball IQ, and is a hard worker with a positive personality.

There is no reason for him to leave and he is the kind of player most teams wish they had. He is not a star by any means, but he is a consistent contributor and is not a locker room problem.

Shannon Brown

I am not a fan of Shannon Brown. His play on both ends of the floor is below average and considering Nash is leaving I doubt his offensive production will improve.

He takes bad shots and has a low shooting percentage because of it. He does not hustle on either end of the floor and is not someone I want playing 20+ minutes a night.

Considering he is a free agent and the Suns have enough cap room to pursue other options at shooting guard (Eric Gordon, OJ Mayo and Jamal Crawford, for example) I doubt they will get Brown back.

Channing Frye

Frye has one purpose on the Suns team and that is to shoot threes. His contract is expensive and the Suns are not going to get rid of it.

He will produce no matter what and even though he is not worth the money, the Suns have no other option but to keep him. 

Marcin Gortat

Gortat is pretty much the only player who can feel 100 percent safe on the team. He is establishing himself as one of the better big men in the league and should only continue getting better.

His game is based on skill and finesse so he will not see a huge drop as he ages since he does not rely on his athletic ability.

He is a key part for a Suns team that is entering rebuilding mode, but does not want to become one of the bottom feeders of the league.

Grant Hill

Every team needs a captain and while Grant Hill is the second-oldest player in the league he is still a great locker room presence. He plays his hardest every night and is one of the better perimeter defenders on the team.

He is definitely coming back, and staying the season in Phoenix.

Robin Lopez

The management seems intent on keeping Lopez even though I am not exactly sure why. He is a free agent this summer and while he doesn’t bring much to the table, he is a bench player who plays few minutes.

He will earn a few million this year which is definitely more than he deserves. The Suns do want to keep him, and they will.

Markieff Morris

Morris was a huge surprise this season and has displayed great all-around game. His jump shot is great for a big and he shows great hustle on the court.

He was a bit inconsistent this year, but that is very understandable for a rookie and Gentry seemed to not have much faith in him for most of the season.

Hopefully, Morris will work hard on his game and come back to impress Gentry and become either the Sixth Man or a full-time starter for the team.

Ronnie Price

Price played 14 minutes a game, but he did not contribute positively when he played. His asking price will not be high, but there is no reason the Suns need him back.

They can let him go and either pick up a guard in free agency or draft one up with their lottery pick. Price is not coming back next year.

Michael Redd

An aging veteran who is now only a shadow of his former self does not sound like someone the Suns want to include in their rebuilding process.

With Grant Hill they have a captain, while with Redd they have an old player who is struggling on both ends of the floor. There's no way the Suns bring him back next year.

Sebastian Telfair

The Suns need a point guard and while Telfair is in no way the answer, he can remain the backup. He has one year left on his contract and the Suns are going to keep him around for one more year to back up whoever they pick up in the offseason.

Hakim Warrick

Warrick is in the same boat as Childress. He is costing the Suns a decent amount of money, but his production is low and he aging quickly. Last year he struggled with injuries and he is a good sidekick for Steve Nash, so his production should suffer heavily without him.

They have no option but to keep him until his contract runs out.

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