LeBron James ending up with the Philadelphia 76ers did not change much for the Phoenix Suns on the surface. The bigger ripple, at least from a Suns angle, is that it keeps one strange and uncomfortable possibility hanging around.
Before James made his announcement, plenty of people expected him to wrap up his career with a third run in Cleveland. Former Suns forward Markieff Morris had a different idea, and he wanted to see James Harden head to The Valley for Jalen Green.
Former Suns forward Markieff Morris wants to see James Harden in the desert 👀☀️ pic.twitter.com/wR2HucbC23
- TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 22, 2026
That idea is off the table now, but Harden’s future still has enough uncertainty to keep Phoenix in the conversation. He has never had trouble moving on to a new situation, and the LeBron chaos could have shifted things again if Jaylen Brown had not been traded to the 76ers.
The Suns have been tied to Harden before, though those rumors often felt more like a player using Phoenix as leverage than a real destination. Even so, the fit keeps coming back because owner Mat Ishbia clearly has a taste for star-chasing, and Harden would be a clear upgrade next to Devin Booker. Postseason issues and all.
The catch is that any path to Phoenix would have to come through a sign-and-trade. Harden declined the player option on the final year of his contract and wants one more major payday, which is exactly the kind of deal Ishbia would be willing to hand out if the Suns could make the numbers work.
Right now, though, the numbers look brutal. Dillon Brooks is eligible for an extension, and Miles Bridges is not far behind. Everything points to both players getting new deals, which would make it impossible to pay Harden what he wants.
And the Suns have no appetite for pushing past the second apron after how badly that has hurt them before.
There is also the basketball side of it. Harden does not look like a Jordan Ott player, and Ott’s strong first season in charge has to matter here too. So even with Morris hoping for it, James Harden to the Suns has never really made sense, and it still doesn’t.
In Other News...
Suns Offseason Progress Came With A Tradeoff Fans Will Feel
Phoenixs offseason brought a little more stability than splash, with Collin Gillespie, Mark Williams and Jordan Goodwin all back in the fold and Koa Peat, Miles Bridges and Luke Kennard joining the mix. ESPN rewarded that work by nudging the Suns up in its latest NBA power rankings, a small but meaningful bump that reflects both last seasons competitiveness and the front offices effort to keep the roster from slipping further.
Miles Bridges is the headliner among the newcomers, and the Suns are also hoping for a healthier version of Jalen Green after a hamstring issue wrecked his first season in Phoenix. Even so, the roster still has some familiar questions hanging over it, especially when it comes to balance and the kind of guard play that can steady a team over the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Already Facing Big Miles Bridges Question After Bold Trade
Miles Bridges is already giving the Suns a new kind of offseason dilemma, because the trade that brought him over from Charlotte looks like more than a one-year rental. Phoenix moved to add the power forward with an eye on what comes next, and league chatter has already turned to whether the team wants to keep him around long term after this upcoming season. General manager Brian Gregory has publicly highlighted Bridges competitiveness and energy, while Bridges has said his focus is on helping the Suns chase a championship.
The contract situation is what makes this so interesting for Phoenix. Bridges is on an expiring deal, which means the Suns have to decide quickly whether this is just a bold swing for immediate help or the start of a deeper commitment. After sending Royce O'Neale, Grayson Allen, and draft-pick swaps to Charlotte, the front office has made clear it sees real value here, and the next step will tell the story of how far it wants to go. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Ott Looks Like The Coach The Suns Desperately Needed
Jordan Otts first season in Phoenix gave the Suns something they had been missing for a while: stability with a clear identity. After a summer of low expectations, the team pushed its way back into the playoffs and did it with a top 10 defense, while also finding ways to fold new pieces into the rotation. Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams were among the additions that had to be absorbed on the fly, and Otts ability to keep the group organized through the inevitable bumps was a big part of why the season did not go sideways.
The bigger reason the year matters for Phoenix is that Ott appears to fit the structure above him as much as the roster around him. Brian Gregory and Mat Ishbia have been looking for a coach who can turn a perceived weakness into a strength, and Otts first run suggested that might be exactly what they found. The next test is whether that same approach holds when the roster changes again, especially with the Miles Bridges acquisition looming as the kind of move that can reshape the conversation fast. [Read more 🡒]