The Phoenix Suns may not be getting much love outside their own building, but Robert Horry isn’t buying the downbeat forecast.
On his podcast, the seven-time NBA champion said he expects Phoenix to land higher than the usual mid-tier West projections. “Phoenix is gonna have a better record than a lot of people think,” Horry said on his podcast. “So I’m gonna put them a little bit higher (than the eighth seed in the West).”
That’s a notable stance for a team that spent the offseason reshaping itself after last summer’s exit of big names like Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Phoenix’s summer was mostly about keeping its own house in order, with re-signings for Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Mark Williams. The Suns also made two bigger swings, trading up in the draft for Koa Peat and then adding Miles Bridges from the Charlotte Hornets.
The broad national read is more cautious. Under second-year coach Jordan Ott, many around the league expect Phoenix to take a step back, even after a 45-win season that came despite injuries hammering the roster. Only Oso Ighodaro and Collin Gillespie played in 80-plus games last year, while Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green missed more than 90 games combined.
The Western Conference won’t make anything easy. Oklahoma City and San Antonio sit near the top of the pile, and Denver, the Lakers and Minnesota are all expected to be difficult matchups as well.
Still, the Suns are projected to reach the playoffs for a second straight year. The real question is whether they can climb out of the play-in picture and grab a top-six spot in 2026-27.
At least one early projection has them slotted below last season’s finish. ESPN has Phoenix pegged for 42 wins this year.
In Other News...
Suns Finally Chose A Direction Fans Can Really Debate
Phoenix took a clear lane this offseason, and for once it was less about chasing a splash than sticking with a plan. The Suns leaned into continuity and development, even as the roster still saw movement around the edges, with Miles Bridges coming in and Luke Kennard added after the team created some flexibility with the Bridges deal.
The debate now is whether those decisions add up to progress or just a cleaner version of the same roster-building questions. Moving on from Royce ONeale and Grayson Allen changed the shape of the wing rotation, and the decision to send out a 2033 first-round pick will linger in the background as fans sort through an offseason that drew mostly positive grades, even if not every move earned universal approval. [Read more 🡒]