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5 NBA Analysts Grade Phoenix Suns' Offseason

Coming soon: Another Suns season ignites

After another long summer in the Valley of the Sun, a new season of Phoenix Suns basketball is finally just around the corner.

As of Thursday, just 40 days separate us from the start of the regular season when the Sacramento Kings come to town on Oct 26. Between then and now, the Suns will travel to Flagstaff for a week of training camp before playing six preseason games throughout early and mid October.

But before we fully turn the page to the 2016-17 campaign, let's first review the additions the team made this offseason.

In June's draft, the Suns made a pair of top-10 picks in drafting Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss. Phoenix then snagged Tyler Ulis in the second round. In free agency, the team signed two throwback players in Jared Dudley and Leandro Barbosa, both of whom will help lead one of the youngest squads in the NBA.

To put a bow on summer sixteen, we rounded up five evaluations of the Suns' offseason from big-name media outlets. We think you'll like what you read.

AJ Neuharth-Keusch: "Bender — the 7-foot-1, No. 4 pick from Croatia — has the height of a center but the versatility to play anywhere in the frontcourt, while Chriss — the 6-foot-10, No. 8 pick out of Washington — is an elite athlete with three-point range. Put simply, the Suns struck gold on draft night, adding two new pieces to a frontcourt in desperate need of assistance."

Staff: "Dudley was a fan favorite the first time he was in Phoenix, and he's a (slightly) different player now. In his first tenure, he played shooting guard and small forward. Now he's a stretch 4. This was a smart signing for good value, and it followed a great draft night. Now the Suns just need to figure out their backcourt."

Chad Ford: "The Suns' biggest hole was at the 4 and the addition of Bender and Chriss fill it long term in a big way. I also loved the addition of Ulis. He's undersized but proved again in summer league that his elite point guard skills can carry him. Dudley and Barbosa provide veteran leadership in the locker room. ... The Suns have quietly amassed a talented group of young prospects. It's going to take them another year or two to figure out how to win basketball games, but the decision to go young should pay off in the long run and the addition of Bender and Chriss add to my bullishness on their future."

Staff: "Phoenix took some home-run swings in the draft. At No. 4, McDonough selected Dragan Bender, an ultra-intriguing 18-year-old who saw limited playing time in Israel last year. Phoenix then traded up to No. 8 to select Marquese Chriss, a raw one-and-done forward whose athleticism generated significant buzz during the pre-draft process. Finally, the Suns used a second-round pick on undersized guard Tyler Ulis, whose competitiveness and feel make him easy to rally around."

David Aldridge: "The Suns hope they addressed their forward deficiencies through the Draft, taking fliers on two teenagers. ... A combined 13 feet, 11 inches, the two will surely struggle early, but should eventually step in with second-year guard Devin Booker, fourth-year center Alex Len and the Suns' seemingly endless trove of point guards. ... At some point, GM Ryan McDonough will have to pare that group down via trade, but he now has some real pieces to put together to offer for an All-Star-level talent should one become available."