The Phoenix Suns are heading into the 2026-27 season with a profile that feels impossible to pin down. They could land among the West’s best or stumble into disappointment, and there doesn’t seem to be much middle ground.
That kind of uncertainty comes after a busy stretch for Phoenix. The team made a postseason run last year, then pushed to get better by trading up for Koa Peat in the 2026 NBA Draft and later landing Miles Bridges from the Charlotte Hornets to strengthen its interior play.
Not everyone is treating the Suns like a question mark, though. Eddie Johnson, a Suns legend, sounded bullish when he spoke with 12 News’ Cam Cox about what Phoenix has assembled.
Cox said he wouldn’t be surprised if the Suns finished as a top-five team in the Western Conference, and Johnson didn’t push back.
"I wouldn't be shocked. It [the roster] is that good.
It's all predicated - I hate to do this - but it's all predicated on our young players. They had a long summer to get themselves right and I'm expecting all of them - all of them - to elevate their game to a level that's going to help out veterans," Johnson told Cox.
He also pointed to health as a major factor, especially after Jalen Green missed much of last season.
"Health is obviously important. We didn't have Jalen Green for a lot of the year last [year].
I am so really enthusiastic to see how he's going to be. We have the right coach, man.
I think Jordan Ott is spectacular, and when you have Devin [Booker] and his continued growth and his leadership along with Dillon [Brooks], we have two tremendous leaders on this team.
"I've never seen a group of guys that has this much energy. Normally you have a few guys that push other guys, they don't have to push each other because they're all running 100 miles per hour. It's just good to see."
Phoenix’s lack of continuity showed up all season long. Booker, Green and Brooks missed more than 90 combined games because of injuries, yet the Suns still managed to reach the play-in tournament.
There’s also been roster reshuffling around the edges. Luke Kennard is in line to help replace some of the three-point shooting Phoenix lost when Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen were sent to Charlotte this offseason.
There are still plenty of questions hanging over the roster, but under Ott, the Suns look like they should be a compelling team to watch again.
In Other News...
Luke Kennard Fixes One Suns Problem But Exposes Another
Luke Kennards arrival gives the Suns something they badly needed, a proven floor-spacer who can punish defenders the moment they help off the ball. Signed as a free agent, he should ease some of the spacing problems that have hung over the offense, and his reputation as one of the leagues most dangerous catch-and-shoot threats makes him a natural fit for a team trying to open the court around its scorers.
Luke Kennard can help Phoenix stretch defenses, but the bigger question is how much room the rest of the lineup will give him to work with. The coaching staff now has to figure out the best way to deploy him alongside the other pieces so his shooting actually changes the geometry of the offense rather than becoming a standalone weapon on a roster still searching for enough shooting around him. [Read more 🡒]
Suns May Already Have A Surprise Kennard Backup Plan
The Suns brought in Luke Kennard on a two-year deal because of what his shooting can do to the spacing around the roster, and that move naturally comes with some pressure to translate right away. Phoenix is clearly betting that another perimeter threat can help its offense, but it also knows how quickly a rotation can shift if a new signing does not settle in the way the team expects.
Collin Gillespie is the name to watch if that happens. He is already a familiar piece for Phoenix, and his value goes beyond just making shots, with the Suns liking his defensive edge, consistency and ability to handle the ball in different spots. For a bench group that needs reliability, his versatility gives the team an option it can turn to without changing the shape of the second unit too much. [Read more 🡒]
Suns May Have A Defensive Lineup Built For Tough Matchups
Jordan Ott may have found a lineup he can lean on when the games tighten up and the matchups get tougher. The Suns already finished ninth in defensive rating last season, and the idea now is to build on that identity with a group that can pressure the ball, switch more cleanly and make life harder for opposing scorers.
Goodwin, Booker and Brooks give Phoenix a perimeter base that can compete on the wing, while the frontcourt mix adds size and activity behind them. If Ott goes this direction, it would give the Suns a more defense-first option to turn to against elite opponents, with the kind of length and toughness that could change the tone of a possession. [Read more 🡒]