There’s only so many spots available and these cuts come as no surprise.
As preseason basketball winds down, the Phoenix Suns have nearly completed their five-game slate in preparation for the highly anticipated 2024-25 season. Entering training camp with a full roster of 20 players, the Suns knew that difficult decisions would be on the horizon. The NBA allows a maximum of 15 players on standard contracts, along with three additional spots for two-way contracts, meaning some cuts were inevitable.
Today, those roster decisions began to take shape as the Suns made a pair of expected moves by waiving Mamadi Diakite and Moses Wood.
The Suns have waived Mamadi Diakite and forward Moses Wood.
— Bright Side of the Sun (@BrightSideSun) October 14, 2024
Though neither player was a major factor in preseason action, both brought unique skills and potential to camp. Diakite, a versatile big with NBA and international experience, was looking to carve out a spot on a roster loaded with veteran talent. The fifth-year big man from the University of Virginia logged 20 minutes, contributing 7 points on 3-of-6 shooting and grabbing 5 rebounds.
Wood, a younger player eager to make his mark, had a tougher uphill climb in a deep and competitive camp. He saw only 5.4 total minutes across two games, managing just 2 points.
This leaves the Suns with 18 players on the roster: 15 on standard contracts and three on two-way deals (Jalen Birdges, Collin Gillespie, and TyTy Washington, Jr.). How Phoenix will finalize its roster remains uncertain.
Frank Kaminsky, who was a member of the team during the team’s 2021 NBA Finals run, was a late addition due to an available roster spot. The question now is whether the Suns will keep Kaminsky or waive him to maintain flexibility during the season.
I’m guessing they’ll hold onto Frank. He fills a specific need for size and depth, and his ability to shoot from beyond the arc aligns well with Mike Budenholzer’s system, where three-point shooting is highly valued.
As of now, the Suns will head into their final preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night with 18 players.