There is no doubt that the Phoenix Suns are going to have to hit the bargain basement harder than they ever have before to improve their roster this offseason. Their cap sheet situation ensures this is the case, and goes some way to explaining some of the front office moves the organization has already made.

The Suns had middling success doing this last season, with players like Eric Gordon and even Drew Eubanks playing their part. In terms of raw upside, it was another minimum guy in Bol Bol who represented found money with the fleeting regular season contributions he had in The Valley.

But what if the Suns were to turn it up a notch this summer, and target three players who are currently taking part in the NBA Finals?

To do this while only armed with the minimum would be no mean feat, but there are actually some guys who fit the bill. All three aren’t likely to excite fans – but when you employ three superstars at over $150 million alone next season – finding value for the end of your bench that can actually play is about as good as it gets. With that in mind, what are any of these guys doing for you?

3. Markieff Morris

You will be delighted to know that 34-year-old Markieff Morris is as bad as this list is going to get. Both because he is clearly past his best, but also thanks to the fact that he’s yet to play a single postseason minute for the Dallas Mavericks so far.

That doesn’t look likely to change between now and the end of the series either – because even though Mavs’ head coach Jason Kidd has his back to the wall – there still isn’t really a need for Morris out there. Not when the likes of Dante Exum can provide better defensive switching ability and fresher legs at this point in a long season.

Which is exactly why he will be available on the minimum this summer. Morris did manage 8.3 minutes per game in Dallas during the regular season, and the 35.7 percent he shot from deep on less than two attempts per night is worth mentioning. So too is the stout frame which – when he is able to stay in front of his man – can slow them down momentarily so the Mavericks can get set.

Really though this isn’t the kind of player the Suns should be targeting, but who unfortunately are still going to be left out there when the dust settles after the opening days of free agency. Nice as these dream additions would be, the Suns have to be realistic. Adding Morris on a minimum deal is as real as it gets.

2. Luke Kornet

Now we’re talking. Luke Kornet has been a truly excellent role player for the Boston Celtics on this run to what feels like a championship, stepping off the bench whenever Kristaps Porzingis has been missing through injury to outperform his role.

Perhaps the biggest compliment you could give Kornet is that his minutes during the regular season (15.3, seven starts in 63 appearances) didn’t even dip that much during the playoffs to this point (11 minutes each night). Some of that is down to Porzingis missing time, but it is clear head coach Joe Mazzulla trusts the 28-year-old.

Kornet is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and it is possible that another team with more cap space could throw more money and some career stability his way. It is also possible that the Celtics bring him back – he may have played a small role this season – but he appears a popular figure with fans who certainly doesn’t make the group that much worse when he is out there.

But if the Celtics somehow slip up from this position and Kornet’s involvement in getting them to this point flies under the radar, the Suns could profit. He’s underrated given his frame at sticking to bigger and stronger players – and while he’s by no means elite in that area – he’d be an immediate upgrade over Eubanks. One for the Suns to go after hard this offseason.

1. Derrick Jones Jr.

The most likely player of the three to actually get signed by the Suns this summer, and it is ironic that a dip in the performance of Derrick Jones Jr. would be the reason why. He was probably the find of the season given that he was signed to the minimum when anybody could have gotten him, and just started and played 32 minutes in Game 2 of the finals.

There was a point as recently as round two of these playoffs where Jones Jr. looked in line for a significant bump in pay as a result of how well he played for a Mavericks team that came out of nowhere. That might still be the case, but the holes in his game have been exposed on the biggest stage.

Jones Jr. has gone quiet again relative to where he was at a month or so ago, but again that could work out well for the Suns. Rebuilding teams are less likely to turn to him because they could spend their money on guys with higher upside, while contenders will be wary of just how much he can help when it really matters.

What the Suns need though is a regular season player who can have some moments, before letting the stars get to work in the playoffs. That plan might have fallen apart alarmingly quickly last time out – but as long as the roster is constructed in this way – it will be one of the main ways they approach signing players. This one just makes too much sense.