JUNE 30: Head Coach Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns holds the Western Conference Champion trophy after the Suns defeated the LA Clippers in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals at Staples Center on June 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
JUNE 30: Head Coach Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns holds the Western Conference Champion trophy after the Suns defeated the LA Clippers in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals at Staples Center on June 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

The Phoenix Suns fell two wins short of the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship.

Going into free agency, Phoenix wanted to focus on keeping their key players while upgrading their bench depth as it was exposed in the NBA Finals when the Milwaukee Bucks played a taller lineup that allowed Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to dominate.

The Suns started the offseason by signing Cameron Payne to a bargain deal of three-year, $19 million, and kept Chris Paul in the Valley with a four-year, $120 million contract the following deal.

Many were shocked at the money offered but Ric Bucher since clarified that only the first two years are fully guaranteed.

The Suns lost Torrey Craig to the Indiana Pacers to which they responded by re-signing 3-and-D specialist Abdel Nader and trading away fan-favorite Jevon Carter and their 29th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft to the Brooklyn Nets for Landry Shamet.

Their biggest signing this offseason is arguably that of JaVale McGee to a minimum contract, who will serve as the third-string center behind Frank Kaminsky who had just signed a one-year, $2.1 million deal.

Elfrid Payton will also make his return to the Suns after short stints with the New Orleans Pelicans and New York Knicks on a one-year contract.

They haven’t made any major signings other than Paul, but Suns fans are liking their hopes at making another run to the title after this with all of these small yet, arguably, major moves.

Dario Saric is expected to miss the following season as he deals with an ACL tear, but general manager James Jones has done a great job so far this offseason.

All they need now is a power forward who can play Saric’s role to perfection while providing additional defense in the paint.

Paul Millsap, Lauri Markkanen, Mike Scott, Justise Winslow and former Sun Aron Baynes are still up on the market, and it’s expected that the Suns will pluck one of those names to plug the hole at the forward spot.

Suns All-Star Devin Booker--alongside McGee--is set to play in the gold medal match against France in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and he surely has to be excited with how their current roster looks.

Consistency while improving has been the key for Jones this offseason, and his offseason moves have been exactly that.

Head coach Monty Williams will have more pieces to play with once training camp starts, and Phoenix fans everywhere are feeling a sense of hope that the franchise hasn’t had since the Charles Barkley and Steve Nash eras.