The Phoenix Suns turned plenty of heads last season by blowing past their preseason win projection and finishing 45-37 after being pegged at 30.5. They cleared the over on Feb. 2, and they did it in first-year coach Jordan Ott’s debut season after moving on from Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
This time around, the surprise factor is gone. Phoenix heads into the 2026-27 season with a much more visible target on its back, and the road through the Western Conference still looks anything but simple. FanDuel has set the Suns’ win total at 38.5, while also giving them the best odds, at +650 and tied with Golden State, to finish as the No. 8 seed in the West again.
There’s a case for Phoenix to beat that number. Last season’s success came despite a pile of injuries, most notably Jalen Green missing 50 games and Mark Williams and Dillon Brooks each missing time after the All-Star break. If the Suns get better health, the same record or something close to it is well within reach.
But the finish line last season wasn’t nearly as clean as the early run. Phoenix went 14-17 after hitting the 31-win mark and then got swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. The hard-nosed approach that worked early didn’t hold up the same way late, and the Suns never fully recaptured that edge down the stretch.
The biggest swing factor now is how Miles Bridges fits after the trade. Ott has to make the pieces work around Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Bridges, all while adjusting to a roster that leans more heavily into size. That also means a different look after the departures of sharpshooters Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale.
For Phoenix, the formula still starts with forcing turnovers and turning them into extra possessions. That was a strength early in the season, but it faded as the year wore on. The players were clearly on board with Ott’s system, which is built around that pressure and pace, but inconsistency, injuries and opponents figuring out the Suns’ style all chipped away at the results.
Ott and Phoenix can’t afford to carry that late-season slump into 2026-27. With plenty of depth on hand, the Suns will need to be sharper with rotations and more deliberate about matchup choices. Even so, the combination of continuity and a defined starting five gives them a real chance to top 38.5 - as long as they come out locked in from Day 1.
In Other News...
Two Young Suns Bigs Are Suddenly Pressuring The Center Rotation
The Suns are heading into the new season with a roster that should look largely familiar, but one of the more interesting internal battles is already taking shape in the middle. Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro are both positioned to see more center minutes, which gives Phoenix a different kind of depth chart conversation than it had a year ago.
Maluach, a recent first-round pick, is expected to take a noticeable step forward after a quiet rookie season, while Ighodaro could benefit from lineup changes and a shifting frontcourt picture. Mark Williams remains part of the equation, but his availability has become a factor in how the Suns may sort out those minutes, making the center rotation one of the more watchable storylines as camp approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Already Have A Real Minutes Problem Behind Miles Bridges
Miles Bridges arrives in Phoenix with a clear path to the starting power forward job on opening night, but the Suns are already staring at a rotation question that could shape how they handle the position all season. The front office is trying to thread a difficult needle: stay competitive now while also making room for young players who might matter more down the line.
That tension shows up in the rookie class, where the Suns have added players who can make a case for early court time by doing the little things teams need around a veteran scorer. One brings defensive versatility and the ability to handle bigger matchups, while another offers a more complete offensive ceiling and long-term promise at the four. For a team trying to win and build at the same time, those minutes may not be easy to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Former Lakers Champion Just Floated A Wild New LeBron Theory
Markieff Morris, a former Lakers champion with plenty of league ties and no shortage of opinions, stirred the pot on social media with a speculative NBA chain that had Suns fans doing a double take. The idea centered on James Harden landing in Phoenix, with the conversation quickly expanding into a much bigger ripple effect across the league, the kind of offseason guesswork that can travel fast even when it is still just that.
What made the post stand out was the way it pulled Cleveland into the mix, tying the Cavaliers to a broader reset that would also involve Jalen Green and, in Morriss telling, LeBron James. None of it has been confirmed, and there had not been much previous buzz connecting Green to Cleveland, but the theory was enough to add another layer of intrigue around a Suns team that is always going to draw attention when star names start getting floated. [Read more 🡒]