I’m about to write something that doesn’t happen very often: Give the Suns credit.
They handled the Kelly Oubre restricted free agency as well as could have been expected.
Instead of lavishing a massive long term contract on a player who appeared in 40 games for the Suns and started 12, they took a deliberate, logical course that resulted in a fair deal for both sides.
No one can deny that Kelly Oubre brought an energy to the franchise that had been lacking for a very long time. Nor can you deny that his talent was tantalizing and gave the Suns something they’ve missed in recent years in a hyper athletic, potential two way wing.
But Oubre also has much to prove. His 12 game stretch starting for the Suns was the best of his career and could be explained by his push for a new contract and the fact that by the time the Suns figured out their starting lineup, the rest of the league had already stopped giving their best effort against the Suns.
So, his 2 year, $30 million dollar contract seems like a good compromise.
1 year deals can be poisonous, it basically forces a player to be selfish and conversely it forces the team to look at a player differently, knowing their investment may just be increasing the price.
A 2 year deal though gives the Suns a chance at something rarely seen around these parts: consistency.
Its not hard to imagine the Suns could have the same starting lineup and same head coach for at least two years, which the team desperately needs.
So while Kelly Oubre isn’t likely to get the Suns anywhere near over the hump, at least on this contract, it shows that the Suns are learning from some of their worst, previous mistakes.