The struggling Suns have made a changing to their starting lineup, with Oso Ighodaro replacing Khaman Maluach as the first-unit center ahead of Thursday’s game vs. Orlando (Twitter link). Phoenix fell to 1-5 on Wednesday after losing to Portland for the second time this season.

Suns reporter/analyst Gerald Bourguet has advocated multiple times for Ighodaro to replace Maluach in the starting five, noting that Ighodaro is a better play-maker and less mistake-prone than Maluach.

Both big men are technically injury fill-ins, as Mark Williams is expected to be out until around February following offseason shoulder surgery to address a torn left labrum.

Here’s more on the Suns:

• Rookie forward Koa Peat has only played 13 garbage-time minutes in his first three NBA appearance, but he’s “on the cusp” of entering the rotation, head coach Jordan Ott said prior to Thursday’s game (Twitter video link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). “You know, we understand that he’s young and he hasn’t done have a ton of NBA game experience, but again, the way the game is moving, the ability to drive, process, and defend the drive, he appears to have it,” Ott said. “And he’s right there. He keeps working, he’ll get his opportunity and we have full faith that that’s what’s coming.“
• Guard Jordan Goodwin (right calf soreness) and forward Rasheer Fleming (left ankle sprain) will both miss their second straight game on Thursday, tweets sideline reporter Amanda Pflugrad. Ott said neither injury was a long-term concern, as both players are considered day-to-day, according to Rankin (Twitter link). Ott also suggested Fleming may have received rotation minutes on Wednesday if he hadn’t gotten hurt the day before.
• In a subscriber-only story for Suns After Dark, Bourguet lists five point guards that might make sense for Phoenix on the trade market if the team — and particularly Jalen Green — continues to struggle. Bourguet clarifies that he’d rather see Ott explore his in-house options, such as starting Collin Gillespie in place of Green, before potentially turning to the trade market. De’Aaron Fox, Darius Garland and Jrue Holiday are three of the veteran guards on Bourguet’s list.