One of the clearest reasons the Phoenix Suns outperformed expectations in the 2025-26 season was the group behind the starters. That second unit kept showing up, and when a key player went down, the next man up usually delivered.
That same kind of insurance could matter again in 2026-27, even after the Suns lost Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale. Phoenix still has a bench loaded with players who can fill specific needs, and that could end up shaping the season just as much as the starting five.
The fit is especially important because the Suns’ projected starters lean heavily toward shot creation. Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges are all ball-dominant scorers, but none of them are known primarily for 3-point shooting. That leaves a natural opening for the bench to supply what the lineup lacks.
Collin Gillespie and Luke Kennard can provide shooting and playmaking. On the defensive side, the Suns have options in Jordan Goodwin, Rasheer Fleming, Ryan Dunn, Haywood Highsmith and Koa Peat. If Phoenix needs a different look, the bench gives it one.
That variety gives head coach Ott plenty to work with, though it also means he has to sort out how best to use it within a system that now has to account for more size. With Bridges and Peat added and Allen and O'Neale gone, the Suns need their rotations to stretch beyond the 1-4 spots and into bigger lineups.
Oso Ighodaro adds another wrinkle. He offers a different style than Mark Williams, and that difference already bothered opponents at times last season. Ighodaro’s ability to function as a playmaking hub for Phoenix’s scorers could make him even more valuable this year.
Then there’s Khaman Maluach at the 5. He is still waiting for his turn, but after a dominant Summer League, he showed an inside presence that stood out on both ends of the floor, along with a 3-point shot on offense.
Phoenix did not have one of the league’s better bench units statistically last season, largely because so many reserves were forced into starting roles. If the starters stay healthy this time around, the Suns’ depth could push that bench much higher up the rankings and make it one of the team’s biggest advantages.
In Other News...
Suns Have A New Offseason Debate Fans Will Actually Care About
The Suns spent much of the offseason locking in useful pieces around their roster, and the early returns suggest Brian Gregorys front office wanted to favor continuity as much as splash. Collin Gillespie, Damion Goodwin and Luke Kennard are part of a group of additions and re-signings that give Phoenix a more stable foundation heading into the next phase of team building, with the contracts structured to keep the books manageable while still adding real rotation value.
What makes the conversation around those moves interesting is how much they reflect a broader shift in the way the Suns are trying to operate. Gillespies rise and Goodwins deal both fit the team-friendly approach that has defined the summer, while Kennard gives Phoenix another veteran piece without forcing a major cap commitment. The question now is which of these bargains becomes the most important one once the season starts, and that is where the debate among Suns fans gets a lot more fun. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburton Just Revealed A Draft Night Twist Pacers Fans Will Feel
Tyrese Haliburtons path to Indiana still comes with a little extra intrigue for Suns fans, because his rise has a direct line back to Phoenixs 2020 draft decision. On a recent podcast, Haliburton revealed that he and his agents had the Suns on their radar before draft night, hoping Phoenix would be the team to bring him in and pair him with Devin Booker.
Instead, the Suns went another direction, taking Jalen Smith, who later ended up with the Pacers. Haliburton was picked by Sacramento, eventually landed in Indiana and grew into the kind of cornerstone player a franchise builds around, with multiple All-Star nods, and now hes working his way back after missing the entire 2025-26 season with a torn Achilles. [Read more 🡒]
Suns May Need Unexpected Help From A Hidden Part Of The Roster
The Suns have been leaning on their two-way spots as a useful way to stock the back end of the roster, and that trend figures to matter again this season. Koby Brea, CJ Huntley and Pat Spencer are all part of that mix, giving Phoenix a handful of low-risk options who can move between the NBA club and the G League while filling in as needed over the course of the year.
Spencer is the name that keeps coming up as the most intriguing of the group because he already has NBA experience with the Warriors and has shown he can hang around the league long enough to matter. For a Suns team that may need help from unexpected places, the appeal is obvious: a player with some proven track record who can be ready if the opening appears, even if the path from two-way status to real rotation work is never a straight line. [Read more 🡒]