A year ago, the Suns were in a very different place. Kevin Durant was on the way out, Bradley Beal was being paid a lot of money to leave The Valley for good, and the whole operation looked like it was headed in one direction.
Now? Phoenix has turned its Summer League run in Las Vegas into a reminder that the rebuild can move fast when the front office actually lands its draft picks.
That’s the big story here: the Suns look like they’ve hit on back-to-back first-round selections, and that changes everything. Center Khaman Maluach was playing like the Summer League MVP before Phoenix shut him down for the final four games. It was a sensible move, especially with the 19-year-old now facing a tougher path after Mark Williams was brought back into the mix.
Even so, Maluach’s rise has been impossible to miss. Phoenix is going to ease him along, but the early signs are loud and clear: the Suns may have their center of the future.
For this franchise, that matters. He looks like their best answer at the position since former first overall pick Deandre Ayton, and that’s a huge development for a team trying to build around Devin Booker over the next few years.
The encouraging part is that Maluach hasn’t been the only hit. Incoming rookie Koa Peat has also looked like a smart pick, even if his Summer League path hasn’t had the same kind of dramatic leap.
Phoenix moved up to the end of the first round to get him, and so far he’s shown the kind of sturdy, physical presence this roster has needed. The former Arizona standout said he was using Summer League to sharpen one of his best traits in offensive rebounding, and that fits the mold of what he can become.
Phoenix’s front office deserves credit for the broader picture, too. Last year’s Durant trade brought back Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green as starters, and Maluach came over as part of the package from the Houston Rockets. His trajectory now looks especially promising, and the idea that he can become a future starter only strengthens the deal’s long-term value.
Brooks’ future in The Valley is still uncertain, though extension talk has already been floated, which would make sense for everyone involved. Peat is waiting for a bigger role, Maluach looks like a real piece, and the Suns suddenly have a lot more reason to feel good about where this is headed.
In Other News...
Jamaree Bouyea Might Be The Suns Rotation Piece Nobody Saw Coming
Jamaree Bouyea spent the 2025-26 season turning himself into a real part of the Suns back end, appearing in 46 games and logging a career-high 14 minutes a night. Phoenix liked enough of what it saw to bring him back on a two-year deal worth less than $4 million, a modest commitment that says as much about his value as it does about where the Suns are trying to find cheap, useful minutes.
The intrigue is whether Bouyea can slide into the defensive lane opened up by the departures of Royce ONeale and Grayson Allen, giving Phoenix another option to throw at bigger wings and forwards. His length and willingness to take on those matchups make him an interesting fit, but the offensive side remains the question, especially with the Suns needing to sort out how much of Allens shooting they can realistically replace. [Read more 🡒]
Koa Peat Embraces Devin Bookers Role In His Suns Journey
Koa Peat has already started to carve out his place in Phoenix by leaning into the opportunity in front of him. After a strong Summer League showing, the rookie said he is eager to learn from Devin Booker as he gets ready for the 2026-27 NBA season, with the Suns franchise player offering the kind of example young players around the league try to latch onto early.
Selected 30th in the draft, Peat knows his path to a roster role will depend on more than talent alone. For now, he is focused on becoming the kind of teammate who can help Booker and, in turn, sharpen his own game by absorbing as much as he can from one of the Suns most important voices. [Read more 🡒]
Khaman Maluach Is Giving Suns Fans Real Reason To Believe
Khaman Maluach did enough in four Summer League games to turn a promising debut into something closer to a statement. The Suns big man averaged 19.5 points and 12.8 rebounds, posted a double-double in every outing before being rested, and flashed the kind of rim protection and floor spacing that can change how a front line looks. For a team looking for reasons to feel better about its long-term outlook, that kind of start matters.
The buzz around Maluach has only grown because the production came with broader attention from national observers, who saw a player already showing real two-way utility. The next question is whether that performance gets the formal recognition it seems to deserve, with All-Summer League selections still pending and the Suns waiting to see just how high this early momentum can carry their newest interior piece. [Read more 🡒]