The Phoenix Suns got a clearer look at their 2026-27 path this week, and the schedule comes with a little of everything: some relief, some head-scratching, and a rough finish waiting at the end.
Start with the part every team wants to hear. Phoenix landed tied for the fewest back-to-backs in the league at 13, and five of those will be at Mortgage Matchup Center.
That’s a step down from the 16 the Suns had last season. No one is celebrating consecutive games, but it does at least give Phoenix a slightly better rest setup than it dealt with a year ago.
That matters more when you remember how vocal head coach Jordan Ott was about the schedule last year, especially with the injuries Phoenix dealt with in 2025-26. There’s no guarantee the lighter load changes anything dramatically, but over the course of an 82-game season, every small break helps.
The more puzzling part of the release is the lack of national attention. The Suns have just nine nationally televised games, which ranks 18th in the NBA.
That’s the same total they had last season, even though Phoenix improved its roster and made the playoffs since then. The club also did not land on the opening day slate or Christmas Day.
For a team that clearly looks better than it did a year ago, that’s a pretty quiet stage.
And then there’s the finish. The final stretch of the regular season could get uncomfortable, especially the last seven games.
Phoenix closes March with two road games against the Spurs in San Antonio, then has five games in early April to wrap up the year. Five of those final seven are away from home, and the Grizzlies are the only opponent in that run that did not at least make the play-in tournament.
That closing stretch is all Western Conference competition, which could make it even more meaningful if postseason seeding is still in play. Teams like to build momentum late, but for the Suns, the end of the schedule looks less like a runway and more like a grind.
In Other News...
Suns Just Made A Quiet Move With Real Roster Consequences
Haywood Highsmiths return to the Suns is one of those low-profile moves that can still ripple through a roster. Phoenix brought him back on a one-year minimum-salary deal for the 2026/27 season, and the contract is built with the kind of fine print that teams use when every dollar matters. In a season where the Suns are clearly trying to stay disciplined on the books, Highsmith gives them a familiar wing option while adding another layer to their roster management.
The larger significance is in how Phoenix structured the deal, with the Suns working to manage their luxury tax situation by lowering Highsmiths cap charge. It is the sort of maneuver that often gets buried under bigger headlines, but it can shape what the front office is able to do elsewhere. Highsmith also had other interest, which only adds a little more weight to a signing that looks simple on the surface and far more strategic underneath. [Read more 🡒]
Suns May Have Finally Found The Fix For A Costly Problem
The Suns draft approach has changed noticeably since Toumani Camara was included in the Deandre Ayton-for-Jusuf Nurkic deal, and the organization seems to be leaning harder into finding young value before it becomes expensive. Phoenix has added and developed a wave of prospects in recent cycles, including Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, Koa Peat and Oso Ighodaro, with a few already tracking as possible rotation pieces rather than distant projects.
For a team trying to improve both its talent evaluation and its cap situation, that matters. The Suns have spent enough time paying for mistakes and thin depth, so any hint that the front office is getting better at identifying the right young players carries real weight, especially as the roster continues to shift around them. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Get An Early Chance To Build Real Playoff Momentum
A seven-game homestand in early November gives the Suns a chance to settle in quickly once the 2026-27 season gets rolling. The newly released schedule stacks up an appealing run of home games against the Trail Blazers, Magic, Rockets, Spurs, Clippers, Hornets and Lakers, offering Phoenix an early stretch in front of its own crowd before the calendar gets any more demanding.
For a team hoping to build real playoff momentum, that kind of early runway matters. A strong start at home can help establish rhythm, ease some of the pressure that comes with a long season and give the Suns a better sense of where they stand before the schedule starts to test them in other ways. [Read more 🡒]