September has arrived, preseason is creeping closer, and the Phoenix Suns can finally be viewed through the lens of what they built this summer instead of what they left behind last season.
The big takeaway is simple: Phoenix did not blow up what worked. After outperforming expectations, the Suns could have taken a sharp turn and tried to reinvent themselves again.
Instead, they kept the core idea intact. That matters, because one of the hardest things for a team coming off a good year is knowing how much change is too much.
There are plenty of teams that get that part wrong. The Charlotte Hornets are one example from this offseason, having traded LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges and gone in a different direction. The 2005-06 Suns also come to mind, when a team that had surged in 2004-05 responded by trading Joe Johnson over a contract dispute, moving Quentin Richardson, and resetting 40% of the starting five.
Phoenix did the opposite this time. Rather than forcing a reset, the Suns let the culture and identity they started building a year ago carry over.
Players came back on discounted deals, and the organization can now spend more time on continuity and development instead of teaching a brand-new group the system from scratch. That stability is a big reason the offseason landed so well with fans.
In the latest survey, 62% of the community gave the Suns a B, while another 25% handed them an A.
I’m in the A camp. I think Phoenix upgraded the roster, had a strong draft, and - especially under the limits it was working with - put together a group that keeps the same foundation while reinforcing the type of player and identity the team wants. Maybe that sounds like hopium, but the smart move was not to swing wildly just for the sake of change.
That doesn’t mean every decision was spotless. I wasn’t thrilled to see Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen moved out, though I can understand it.
Both are getting older, and the Suns wanted to get the most they could back. If that ultimately turns into Miles Bridges and Luke Kennard, with the Bridges deal creating the financial room to add Kennard, then that’s a move that makes sense.
The 2033 first-round pick is the other issue some fans will hang on. I’ve been clear that I didn’t think it needed to be dealt, and I don’t think it was the best move of the summer. But one questionable decision doesn’t erase a long stretch of solid ones.
The real test comes later. Time will tell whether the Suns were right to lean into continuity, and whether this team can top what FanDuel Sportsbook and the fan base expect.
For now, though, Phoenix gave itself something it hadn’t had in a while: a little peace. Instead of another dramatic overhaul, the Suns kept the structure, made targeted additions, and came away looking like a team that finally knows what it wants to be.
In Other News...
Suns May Be Getting Underrated For One Big Reason This Season
The Suns head into the 2026-27 season with a reshaped roster and a familiar set of expectations: stay in the playoff mix, absorb the pressure that comes with a veteran core, and try to build on a 45-win season that was hampered by injuries. Phoenix added Miles Bridges, used the draft on Koa Peat, brought back several players, and will be guided by second-year coach Jordan Ott as it tries to make the most of a group that has already shown it can win in a tough Western Conference.
What stands out now is how little room there seems to be for the Suns to get the benefit of the doubt. Some projections have them pegged for a slightly lower regular-season finish even after the roster changes, which puts the focus on whether the new pieces and the improved health picture can push them back into the upper part of the bracket. The playoff expectation is still there, but the question around Phoenix is whether that floor is being underestimated before the season even starts. [Read more 🡒]