The Phoenix Suns found themselves compelled to bolster their frontcourt. With a shoulder injury sidelining Mark Williams for roughly five months, Arizona needed to fill the interior gap with a new addition, a task they have already completed. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the man chosen for that role is Duop Reath, who will look to seize the opportunity to log the minutes for his new team that he struggled to secure in Portland.
The Phoenix Suns are signing center Duop Reath to a deal, sources tell ESPN. With Mark Williams (shoulder) sidelined for several months, the Suns add the former Portland Trail Blazers big man for frontcourt depth on the roster. pic.twitter.com/UCOt2vnt8Z
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 17, 2026
Reath earned his place in the league during the 2023-24 season, initially breaking in as a two-way player but performing well enough to secure a regular contract; since then, however, his role with the Blazers has declined. With only eight minutes per game last season, he averaged 2.9 points and 1.2 rebounds before being included in the trade that brought Vit Krejci to Portland, and upon arriving with the Hawks he was released and became a free agent.
His name, however, had already begun to surface as a viable interior option for several teams in recent days, and Phoenix ultimately emerged as his destination. It’s a franchise not entirely unfamiliar to Reath, who previously wore Suns colors during the 2022 Summer League and who now seeks to play a more substantial role.
Pace of his role aside, the expectation is that he will come off the bench, since everything indicates Khaman Maluach will step in to replace Mark Williams as the starting center. The young guard-turned-center is destined to be a key part of Phoenix’s plans for the future, and after a rookie season with limited minutes, the moment has arrived for him to start demonstrating his strengths.
