Ighodaro Gets Five More Years in His Hometown

The Suns locked up Oso Ighodaro on a three-year, $29 million extension this week, keeping the Chandler native in Phoenix through the 2030-31 season. He's a former second-round pick — No. 40 overall — who played 86 games this season, averaging 6.6 points and 5.1 rebounds on 64.4% shooting. The efficiency number is real; he finishes around the rim at a high rate. The counting stats are modest, but he's a young frontcourt piece the organization clearly wants to build around.

The timing is notable. Phoenix just missed the playoffs at 46-41, and the roster decisions coming out of this week point in a consistent direction. The Suns kept Jamaree Bouyea over Haywood Highsmith on the same day they finalized this deal — youth and flexibility over veteran depth. Ighodaro's extension fits that same frame.

The frontcourt situation remains unresolved at the top. Mark Williams missed the entire season after shoulder surgery, and the gap between Khaman Maluach and whoever plays behind him at center was a real problem all year. Ighodaro is listed as a forward, not a center, so this doesn't fix that. What it does is give the front office a known quantity on a reasonable number locked in for the next several years while they figure out the rest.