The Suns are almost here, but Kevin Durant has already stolen the early-season spotlight.
Phoenix is set to open the year this week, yet the loudest conversation around the team has nothing to do with the current roster. Instead, it’s been the back-and-forth between Mat Ishbia and Durant, who is now with the Houston Rockets. The dispute centers on how Durant’s run in Phoenix should be framed, and it has become the main talking point as the season approaches.
That sets up a very specific question for Suns fans: if not Kevin Durant, what should the Suns have done to improve the roster?
Go back to February of 2023. Ishbia had just bought the team, and Phoenix still had its draft picks, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson.
Rather than making the Durant deal - which Ishbia has since called a mistake - what move should the Suns have made with those assets while trying to fix a roster that was sliding and coming off a painful playoff exit? Phoenix had just been embarrassed on its own floor in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks.
There’s also a very real basketball decision waiting once the games begin: who opens the season at center?
Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro each started at least two of the Suns’ five preseason games. Maluach started the final three, including the last one alongside Jalen Green, Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges, the group that looks like the most likely starting five.
Ighodaro sat out the final two preseason games, but he should be available for opening night, so health isn’t part of the discussion here. If the coaching staff has to choose between the two, who gets the nod and why?
And then there’s the bigger-picture stuff: what should Suns fans expect this season?
The regular season is finally here, and the Western Conference looks different than it did a year ago. Since last season began, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis are gone from the conference picture, and there’s been plenty of turnover in the 12 months since Phoenix began the 2025-2026 campaign.
Last year, the Suns caught a lot of people off guard by winning 45 games and making the playoffs after losing Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in the previous offseason. This time around, the projections don’t point to quite the same kind of surprise.
Phoenix opens the schedule Wednesday at 7 pm AZ time against the new-look Portland Trailblazers. Then on Saturday at 7 pm AZ time, the Suns host the Golden State Warriors in their home-opener, a rematch of last season’s 8/9 play-in game.
In Other News...
Suns Moving On From Haywood Highsmith Says Plenty About This Roster
The Suns trimmed their roster ahead of the new season by waiving Haywood Highsmith, a move that says as much about how the group has been reshaped this offseason as it does about the forward himself. Highsmith got into nine games for Phoenix, including some playoff appearances, and was brought in to provide a useful, low-profile option on the wing when the team needed depth and flexibility.
This summer, though, the Suns made enough changes that his spot became easier to move on from. With the rotation picture shifting and fewer openings for the kind of role Highsmith filled, Phoenix chose to go in another direction, even if his brief stint showed he can still help a team in the right setting. For a player with his background, there should be opportunities elsewhere once rosters around the league settle down. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Just Locked In A Frontcourt Piece Fans Cannot Ignore
The Suns have made a clear commitment to Oso Ighodaro, signing the young big man to a three-year, $29 million extension on his rookie deal. Entering his third season, Ighodaro is now positioned as either Phoenixs starting center or an important reserve, a sign the team sees real value in his development as it continues reshaping the frontcourt.
Just as important for Phoenix, the contract gives the front office more flexibility as it navigates a crowded center picture that includes names like Mark Williams and Khaman Maluach. In a roster building phase where every move can affect the next one, keeping Ighodaro on a manageable deal could matter well beyond this season, especially if the Suns choose to keep adjusting the depth chart in search of the right fit. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Frontcourt Suddenly Has A Question Fans Can't Ignore
The Suns added another body to the frontcourt mix by claiming Drew Timme off waivers and converting his Exhibit 10 deal into a two-way contract. Timme, a 6-foot-9 power forward who has already spent time with the Nets and Lakers, gives Phoenix a little more size and a fresh option while the team waits for its starting center to work back from shoulder surgery.
Timme now joins Duop Reath and Pat Spencer as the Suns two-way players, which makes that end of the roster worth watching as the season takes shape. For a team trying to keep its front line steady through an injury absence, the move is less about splash and more about whether the Suns can piece together enough reliable depth in the paint to stay afloat. [Read more 🡒]