Suns waive Koby Brea, clearing a two-way slot as they look for help up front

Koby Brea’s time with the Phoenix Suns is over: the club is releasing the guard, ending the shooter’s stay on a two-way contract on the final day for NBA teams to set their regular-season rosters, according to reports Monday, October 19.

The cut matters less for Brea himself than for the spot it frees. Phoenix has been hunting for size since an August operation on center Mark Williams’ shoulder, where a labral tear had to be repaired, according to Scotto, and the most direct way to add a big man without touching the standard roster is to hand Duop Reath the two-way slot Brea held. The team has not announced either move.

How the roster lines up

Before Monday, the Suns carried three two-way players: Brea, forward CJ Huntley and guard Pat Spencer. Reath, a 6-foot-11 forward-center, has spent camp on an Exhibit 10 deal, and Monday is also the last day such a contract can be converted into a two-way agreement. Earlier reporting had pointed to Huntley as the player likely to lose his place if Reath were converted; the Suns instead appear to be keeping Huntley and Spencer.

The standard roster is not affected. Phoenix already waived veteran wing Haywood Highsmith over the weekend and plans to open with 14 players on standard deals, with Jamaree Bouyea in the 14th spot and the 15th left empty. A two-way contract does not count against the luxury tax, which is why it is the cheap route for a club already deep in tax territory and facing repeater penalties.

Brea’s two seasons in Phoenix

Phoenix drafted Brea 41st overall in 2025 after college stops at Dayton and Kentucky, where he built a reputation as one of the best spot-up shooters in his class. He re-signed on another two-way deal in July after the Suns made him a restricted free agent.

His NBA chances were brief. He appeared in 12 games last season, scoring 3.8 points a game in roughly seven minutes of court time and making 43.3 percent of his threes. Most of his work came with the Valley Suns in the G League, where his 34 appearances produced 16.4 points, 5.1 boards and 2.6 assists a night while launching 10.0 threes a night and hitting 34.9 percent. If he clears waivers, he is free to sign anywhere, and shooters on minimum or two-way terms tend to draw interest once rosters settle.

What comes next

Teams must finalize their rosters by 5 p.m. ET Monday, so any Reath conversion would have to be filed by then. The Suns open the season at the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, October 21, at 10 p.m. ET. Follow it in the Game Center.