The Phoenix Suns have one franchise centerpiece they can’t afford to waste: Devin Booker. They’ve already tried the star-heavy route around him, reached the NBA Finals, and still wound up tearing the whole thing down. That’s why the next phase has to be handled with real urgency.
Golden State is the cautionary tale hanging over all of this. The Warriors, according to recent reports, appear more interested in what comes after Stephen Curry than in pushing harder around him right now. The message is pretty clear: they’re looking ahead to the next era instead of pouring more into the current one.
That’s the exact trap Phoenix has to avoid.
The Warriors didn’t make a splash this offseason. After missing out on LeBron James, they came away with what looks like a quiet summer.
Their only notable move was bringing back Draymond Green on a one-year deal. From there, the path is there if they want it: by next summer, they could move on from Green, Curry, and Jimmy Butler’s contracts.
That’s a very different kind of team-building philosophy than the one Booker needs in Phoenix. Curry is still a top 10 player, but the Warriors seem comfortable letting the end of his run arrive without making one more serious push. Booker shouldn’t be headed toward that same kind of drift.
The age gap isn’t the point here. Curry is 28 years old.
Booker is only 29. But the Suns can’t act like time is on their side.
They’re not close enough to a title to coast, and they can’t afford to spend too long waiting for the perfect opening.
Phoenix also has to deal with the reality of the West. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t going anywhere.
Victor Wembanyama isn’t going anywhere. If the Suns are going to win with Booker as the lead guy, they have to figure out how to get through players like that instead of hoping the path clears on its own.
So the next move matters. The Suns need to be asking how they can get significantly better around Booker, what assets they can combine in a deal, and how they can turn those pieces into a co-star. That has to be the mindset now.
Phoenix can’t afford to get passive. If the Suns let this drag, Booker could end up stuck in the same kind of holding pattern Curry is facing in Golden State.
In Other News...
Lakers May Be Headed For A Suns Center Mistake All Over Again
The Lakers are trying to patch up a thin center rotation while operating with a full roster and very little financial wiggle room, which is why the names floating around them matter. Drew Eubanks and Mason Plumlee have both come up as possible fixes, and both would bring veteran size and familiarity without changing the basic problem Los Angeles is trying to solve.
For Suns fans, the comparison is hard to miss because this is the same kind of bargain-bin center search Phoenix has already lived through. The Lakers also brought in Deandre Ayton last season, only to find that the answer at the position was not nearly as simple as the name value suggested, and the concern now is that another quick fix could end up looking familiar in all the wrong ways. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Suddenly Have The Opening Fans Have Waited On For Years
The Suns spent the offseason doing what contenders are supposed to do: they added Miles Bridges, kept key free agents in place and brought in Luke Kennard to deepen a roster that already had enough talent to matter in the West. After years of waiting for the right mix, Phoenix suddenly looks like a team with real momentum again, and the timing matters in a Pacific Division that has been reshaped by what other rivals did not manage to accomplish.
Golden States inability to land the kind of upgrades it wanted has only sharpened the opening for Phoenix, especially with Stephen Curry still carrying the weight of an aging core around him. The Lakers have also changed the conversation in the division, but the Suns now have a clearer path than they have had in a long time, with a roster built to press the issue while the Warriors and Clippers try to sort out what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Have A Surprising New Favorite In Their All Star Debate
The Suns All-Star conversation is already starting to tilt in an unexpected direction as the focus shifts toward the 2026-27 season. Devin Booker will always have a place in that discussion because of his profile and staying power, but the more intriguing case right now belongs to Jalen Green, whose scoring punch gives Phoenix a different kind of candidate to watch as the roster settles into its next phase.
Greens appeal is rooted in the way All-Star selections often work: big scoring numbers, highlight moments and name recognition can carry as much weight as broader team context. Dillon Brooks also sits in the mix after a strong year and a near miss in the broader conversation, but the real tension for Phoenix is whether Green can turn that kind of offensive momentum into the sort of standing that gets players onto the stage when voting opens. [Read more 🡒]