Who else could it have been? Dillon Brooks arrived in Phoenix as part of the Kevin Durant trade and immediately became the kind of player Suns fans could wrap their arms around. He’s the guy plenty of opposing fan bases love to hate, but once he’s on your side, that edge turns into a weapon.
That was the story of the Suns’ 2025-26 season. Before the year began, the expectation around the league was that Phoenix would tumble toward the bottom of the Western Conference and have a hard time reaching 30 wins.
Brooks took that outlook personally. Night after night, he brought a level of intensity that set the tone for everyone else, and the Suns had to meet him there.
He didn’t just raise the floor. He helped define the whole season.
Brooks finished with 20.2 points per game, a career high, and there was a real All-Star snub feel to the way his year unfolded, especially once Phoenix pushed to 45 wins and grabbed a playoff spot. For all the talk about Devin Booker needing a co-star to keep the Suns competitive, Brooks stepped into that role right away and stayed there. The technical fouls came with the package, but that was part of the deal, and nobody in Phoenix was complaining.
His impact reached beyond his own box score. Brooks deserves credit for helping Collin Gillespie’s breakout year take shape, even if he wasn’t the only reason “Villain Jr.” became as important as he did. He also made life easier for players like Jordan Goodwin, Jamaree Bouyea and Gillespie by giving coach Jordan Ott the kind of versatility that opened up different lineups every night.
Brooks was at his best when the stakes rose. He saved some of his sharpest work for the playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he was the Suns’ best player even in a sweep. And because Brooks is Brooks, that was followed by the kind of moment only he could deliver: sitting courtside and laughing at LeBron James.
He also fit perfectly with first-year coach Jordan Ott, helping the Suns build an identity around defending every possession and making opponents miserable. Having Miles Bridges around this time could make that job even easier, since Brooks won’t have to spend quite as much time fighting bigger bodies. He never backed down from that challenge anyway, and his ability to handle both forward spots gave Phoenix the flexibility it needed.
The Suns have made some personnel moves this offseason, and an extension for Brooks seems likely. At 30, he’s already shown he can be the most influential player on a team that blew past expectations. There’s still a real chance his best work in Phoenix is ahead of him.
In Other News...
Suns Preseason Just Became A Real Fight For Rotation Spots
The Suns are heading into preseason with a much clearer purpose than just getting their legs under them. Phoenix has confirmed its exhibition schedule, and the emphasis from the start will be on evaluation, with head coach Jordan Ott using the games to test lineups and see how younger players handle expanded roles. It is the kind of October setup that can reveal a lot about where the back end of the roster stands before the regular season starts.
Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koa Peat are expected to be among the players who get more time than they might once the games start to matter. For a team trying to build out its second unit, those minutes could go a long way in showing who is ready to contribute and who still needs more development. The preseason may not decide everything, but for this group it should offer a real early look at which rotation spots are actually up for grabs. [Read more 🡒]
Suns May Have Just One Path Back To Contention
Phoenix spent much of last season leaning on defense, and that figure should still be the safest starting point for a team trying to claw its way back into contention. The Suns finished ninth in defensive rating and paired that with a half-court offense that, at its best, looked efficient enough to keep them afloat when the spacing and shot-making were right. Lineups featuring Collin Gillespie, Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Royce ONeale and Oso Ighodaro gave them a workable template, one built more on structure than flash.
Now the wrinkle is that ONeale is gone, sent to the Charlotte Hornets, and Miles Bridges is in his place. Bridges brings a very different offensive profile, one that was boosted in Charlotte by the presence of LaMelo Ball and comes with its own questions about consistency from deep. For Phoenix, the real issue is whether that change helps preserve the balance that made the group functional, or nudges the offense into a less predictable shape just as the Suns are trying to stay anchored by their defense. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Put Former First Round Pick Under Real Preseason Pressure
The Suns have their preseason slate in place, and for a few players, that means every minute on the floor is suddenly a tryout. Ryan Dunn is among the names to watch closest. The third-year forward and former first-round pick has not yet carved out a clear role on the roster, which leaves him in a familiar but uncomfortable spot as camp turns into a real evaluation period.
Preseason games are often about rhythm and conditioning, but for Dunn they carry more weight than that. The coaching staff will use those appearances to decide whether he fits into the long-term picture, and his playing time will tell plenty about where he stands. For a team trying to settle its depth chart, that kind of uncertainty makes every possession matter a little more. [Read more 🡒]