The Phoenix Suns are heading into 2026-27 with something to prove, even if the rest of the league isn’t buying in yet.
Phoenix already made its playoff push, then doubled down by bringing back key pieces and adding Koa Peat and Miles Bridges to give the roster more muscle inside. That’s enough to keep the Suns in the conversation, even in a Western Conference that looks stacked from top to bottom.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs sit at the front of the line as the teams everyone else is chasing, but the path behind them is crowded. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets are right there, and the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers are all trying to elbow their way into the mix, too.
Still, the Suns aren’t backing away from the challenge.
“From the outside, I would assume probably not much. It’s going to probably be about the same from the outside, but from us, it’s the same as last year," Oso Ighodaro told The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin.
"It wasn’t a surprise to us what we did. We didn't do what we wanted to do in the playoffs, but we want to win every game we play.
We want to compete in the playoffs and compete for a championship. That’s going to be our goal and I’m excited for it.”
Collin Gillespie echoed that confidence, and he made it clear he’s not spending much time on outside opinions.
"I don't look at any of that stuff," he said recently on PHNX Suns.
"I don't know what the power rankings [say] or where we're rated I guess, I don't really know. I haven't looked at any of it but I don't really care. Obviously at the end of the day everybody has to tie their shoes, go out and play and see who's better."
Phoenix also has the benefit of more time together. The Jalen Green-Devin Booker-Dillon Brooks trio didn’t get much of a chance to build chemistry during the regular season, and by the time the postseason arrived, that lack of shared reps showed up.
There’s also the second-year factor with coach Jordan Ott, who now gets another season to settle in and steer the group.
So are the Suns true championship contenders? Probably not yet. But after reaching the playoffs, they’ve set a standard that makes 2026-27 matter a whole lot more in the desert.
And if Phoenix is going to turn that standard into something bigger, Ighodaro may be part of the answer down low.
In Other News...
Former Suns Finals Sparkplug May Be Drifting Out Of Phoenix Plans
With training camps getting closer, Cameron Payne still sits unsigned, and the former Suns sparkplug is looking at an uncertain NBA market after last playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Phoenixs current backcourt picture makes a reunion increasingly unlikely, especially with the team choosing to evaluate younger guards and see who can carve out a larger role before the season begins.
Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Jamaree Bouyea are all in the mix for those minutes, giving the Suns a different kind of guard competition than the one Payne would step into. For a player who once provided energy and playoff-shotmaking for Phoenix, the door does not appear completely shut around the league, but the path back to the Suns is getting harder to see. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Kennard Could Force A Real Suns Lineup Decision
Luke Kennards arrival gives the Suns something they have been short on around the edges of the roster: another shooter who can also keep the ball moving. If his passing gains carry over, he could become more than a specialist, because Phoenix has been looking for cleaner spacing and a little more playmaking to support the scoring around Jalen Green, Miles Bridges and Dillon Brooks.
The tricky part is that Kennards value may not be limited to spot minutes. His defensive limitations are still part of the equation, but the offensive fit is good enough to make the Suns think harder about how they want their best five arranged. At some point, that kind of balance can turn a bench addition into a lineup decision, and Phoenix may have to decide how much creation it wants on the floor without giving up too much defense. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Rotation Squeeze Puts Three Players In A Tough Spot
The Suns rotation picture is getting tighter, and the pressure is starting to show on a few familiar names. With new roster additions and more competition around the lineup, Ryan Dunn, Jamaree Bouyea and Jalen Green are all in line to see less floor time than they did before, which is never a comfortable place for players trying to carve out a steady role.
For Dunn, the squeeze goes beyond simply losing minutes, because his place in the long-term plan suddenly looks less secure as the season unfolds. Bouyea is expected to have a smaller part to play than he did a year ago, and Green, whose usage is already headed in the wrong direction, could wind up sliding even further down the pecking order if the minutes keep shrinking. [Read more 🡒]