What happened: Free-agent guard Jordan Goodwin intends to sign a three-year, $19 million deal to return to the Phoenix Suns, with a player option in the third season. Goodwin was claimed off waivers last July and developed into a rotation contributor over the course of the season. Phoenix retained him using early bird rights.

Why it matters: The first-year salary on the new contract will exceed Goodwin's total career earnings to date, a significant payoff for a player who arrived on a waiver claim. Securing him through early bird rights lets Phoenix keep a productive guard without dipping into more valuable cap or exception tools heading into the 2026-27 season. It cements Goodwin as a planned piece of the backcourt rotation rather than a roster long shot.

What to watch: Watch for the deal to become official once it can be signed, and for how Phoenix rounds out the rest of its guard rotation around him this offseason.