Nick Crain | 2/12/23

With the closing of the recent trade deadline, quite a few players were bought out by their respective teams to offset deals that couldn’t be made. This began the window for teams to shop the buyout market and sign players to a short deal for the rest of the season.

One of the biggest names to hit the market was Terrence Ross, who was bought out by the Orlando Magic. Even though the 32-year-old is still a highly impactful player, he didn’t quite fit the timeline of the rebuilding Magic any longer.

And although the Dallas Mavericks emerged as early frontrunners for the veteran, it was the Phoenix Suns that ultimately landed Ross. Before being bought out, he averaged 8.0 points in 22.5 minutes per game this season in Orlando. How could he fit in with his new team?

Roster synergy and his fit with the other 14 players on the team is key. This fit is something that’s difficult to predict, but ProFitX is able to help. Leveraging the advanced models within the Athledex, we can quickly see how Ross is projected to fit on his new team and which individual teammates he could have the most synergy with.

At the individual level, what’s extremely promising is that Ross is projected to fit great with Suns center Deandre Ayton. As a tertiary scoring piece behind guys like Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, Ross and Ayton could be a solid pick-and-role duo.

One potential concern around Ross in this new situation is the availability of minutes. Phoenix has a fantastic starting unit and some interesting pieces off the bench, so he will have to really compete for minutes. In the past, Ross has been able to make his impact as a volume shooter, but that may not be the case often with the Suns.

Can he be the offensive threat he’s been for the past few years in Orlando in this new role without taking double-digit shots? We’ll soon find out.

On the flip side, ProFitX models predict that Ross will actually have a chance to be better defensively in Phoenix than he was with the Magic. Especially on the interior with the flexibility and versatility of the rotations the Suns can roll out, Ross will be able to defend multiple positions from guard to wing.

While Ross is known for scoring, he will have the opportunity to be more of a facilitator in Phoenix with the talent around him. Given he’s a proven shooter, he will draw gravity from the defense which will allow others to get open for good looks on the offensive end. If Ross buys into that system, he could see increased assist numbers.

It’s been a few years since Ross has been a significant contributor to a winning team, but it will be interesting to see how he fits in with a Suns team looking to win it all. And as a low-risk buyout move, it makes a ton of sense and could be an exciting piece to a dangerous team.