Highsmith Clears Waivers, Returns to Phoenix

The Haywood Highsmith situation resolved itself quickly. Phoenix waived him on August 12, he cleared waivers, and now he's back — the Suns gave him a window to test the market and apparently liked where things landed.

It's a minor transaction, but the mechanics of it are worth noting. The waiver-and-return sequence freed up a roster spot briefly, which is exactly the kind of flexibility a front office wants heading into camp with a remade roster still finding its shape. The Suns added Miles Bridges, Luke Kennard, and Mark Williams this offseason while locking up Dillon Brooks long-term, so the back end of the roster is genuinely unsettled in ways it wasn't a year ago.

Highsmith appeared in seven games for Phoenix after arriving last February — a small sample, but enough for the organization to know what they have. My read is this is less about Highsmith specifically and more about the front office keeping its options open while the camp roster sorts itself out. With both Williams and CJ Huntley carrying day-to-day designations, having a known quantity back in the building is not nothing.