Haywood Highsmith is officially back with the Phoenix Suns, agreeing to a one-year deal. This move was confirmed by his agent, Jerry Dianis, to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The wild part? The Suns had just waived Highsmith earlier this month, on August 12, partially guaranteeing him $1 million of his $3 million salary for the upcoming 2026-27 season. Talk about a quick turnaround.
The Money Moves That Didn’t Quite Stick
This whole situation makes you wonder what’s really going on with the Suns’ cap space. Highsmith, a solid 3-and-D forward with career averages of 5.4 points, 38% three-point shooting, and 3.1 rebounds over six NBA seasons, seemed to be a cap casualty just a few days ago. Back in June, Keith Smith projected the Suns were already running tight, roughly $4.6 million under the tax and $12.6 million under the first apron *after* they re-signed Collin Gillespie. Smith even pointed out that moving on from guys like Highsmith or Jamaree Bouyea could open up more room, especially with avoiding the first apron getting tight if they wanted to keep Mark Williams and Jordan Goodwin. So, they cut him, now he’s back. What a chess match from the front office!
Highsmith’s Early Season Injury Saga
It’s easy to forget how much Highsmith battled on the injury front last season. He was constantly dealing with a right knee issue. We saw him ruled out multiple times in March and early April with “right knee injury management.” Coach Jordan Ott even commented before a late March game against Memphis, saying they were “so excited to see him out there” but that it was “probably pretty normal” after he missed a lot of early games. They wanted to be “smart” for the long term. Highsmith finally got upgraded to available on April 12 against OKC, stepping back onto the court while Jalen Green, Collin Gillespie, Mark Williams, and Jordan Goodwin were all downgraded to out. Devin Booker even mentioned issues with spacing back in April, especially when the Suns went small with Highsmith at the 5, saying they needed to “figure out our spacing a little bit better.” Looks like they liked what they saw enough to bring him right back.
Now, with Highsmith locked in for another year, it’ll be interesting to see how he fits into the rotation. Will his knee hold up? Will he get more consistent minutes? The Suns are clearly banking on his 3-and-D skills, and after getting cut and then brought back, you know he’s going to be playing with a chip on his shoulder.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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