One Suns Guard Could Keep Everything Together for Phoenix Next Season

The Phoenix Suns are set to be a roster that is mostly intact on a year-to-year basis in the upcoming season.

There is one major change, however, as Phoenix opted to swap out former sharpshooters Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale for Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges. 

The addition of Bridges has drawn a divided response for numerous reasons, but the 2018 lottery selection provides positives - such as serving as an underrated passer and premier athlete for a roster that desperately needed an injection of athleticism.

Who's going to be the player that holds everything together as needed during the adjustment period?

Enter G/F Jordan Goodwin.

Goodwin's career path has been nothing short of fascinating, as he rose to prominence as a promising undrafted player out of Saint Louis as a member of the Washington Wizards prior to being shipped to Phoenix in the trade that also brought Bradley Beal to the Valley. 

The first time around proved to be an awkward pairing for the sides, with Goodwin ending up with the Memphis Grizzlies. The 6'3" guard ended up with the Suns once again last summer on a training camp deal, with Goodwin earning the final roster spot as the final conclusion of the process.

Goodwin isn't the most exceptional player based off of surface stats, but his impact extends well beyond this. For example, he became only the second Phoenix guard in the last 30 years (Jason Kidd) to record both 100 steals and 100 offensive rebounds in a single season.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when discussing how versatile Goodwin is, as well as when scaling how much of a connector he is for Phoenix on both sides of the ball. Goodwin is naturally a guard, but his long wingspan, basketball IQ, and willingness to scrap on a possession-by-possession basis allows for head coach Jordan Ott to play him at a forward spot.

On the offensive side of the ball, Goodwin creates extra possessions for the Suns with his elite offensive rebounding and provides a spark as a spot-up shooter. He isn't a perfect passer, but can hit a teammate on a dime when asked to do so. All in all, Goodwin is a versatile player that helps bridge Phoenix's operations on both sides of the ball, which will be invaluable during a period of transition that includes bringing Bridges along as a starting player.