The Phoenix Suns are headed into next season with a roster that looks set, and that’s exactly why Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro are staring at a critical stretch. If neither player can carve out a real role, both could end up on the trade block.
Ighodaro is the easier name to keep in the picture. He already showed he can help win games, even if his sophomore year came with some rough edges. He was used all over the place, from opening night starting center - a move that did not go well - to a more physical four off the bench, which fit him much better.
Phoenix has already made room for him in a few ways. Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale were moved out of The Valley with Ighodaro’s expanded role in mind, and the rise of Rasheer Fleming does not appear to block him. For now, a trade would seem more likely only if an unexpected offer comes along that’s too strong to pass up.
Even then, Ighodaro is not totally safe. Mark Williams and Khaman Maluach could quickly soak up most of the center minutes if one stays healthy and the other makes a leap.
Rookie Koa Peat could also push for a role right away, and Ighodaro will have more competition at his preferred forward spot. Still, the setup is working in his favor.
Dunn’s situation looks far shakier. Fleming and Miles Bridges are both in line to jump him for minutes, and that’s a problem because Dunn still hasn’t found a reliable jumper. The 3-point piece of the “3-and-D” package just hasn’t come together.
The Suns also have a crowd of guards needing minutes, but none of them are going to unseat Devin Booker or Jalen Green in the backcourt. Jordan Goodwin’s ability to defend taller scorers only adds another obstacle for Dunn’s path to the floor.
That leaves Phoenix with a tougher question: what is Dunn actually worth? At this point, a pair of second rounders could be enough to get a deal done. Ighodaro remains the more secure of the two heading toward 2026-27, but by the trade deadline, both players could be on thin ice.
In Other News...
Suns Just Made The Kind Of Move Fans Have Been Begging For
The Suns spent the early part of the summer making sure two of their most useful pieces were not going anywhere, re-signing Collin Gillespie and Mark Williams on multi-year deals that lock in backcourt steadiness and frontcourt size. Gillespies rise was one of the quieter success stories on the roster, a breakout season that gave Phoenix a reliable shooting presence and a new franchise benchmark from beyond the arc, while Williams gave the team the kind of interior production it has long needed when he was on the floor.
For a front office that has been under pressure to get value and continuity right, both contracts look like the sort of business fans have been asking for. Analyst Steph Noh viewed each deal as favorable relative to the impact the Suns can reasonably expect, which matters for a team trying to build around players who can actually fit together. The bigger question now is how much more of the roster Phoenix can stabilize after checking off two important boxes. [Read more 🡒]
Suns May Have Just Reopened A Problem Fans Thought Was Gone
The Suns latest swing has already drawn plenty of second-guessing, and its easy to see why. Phoenix sent Miles Bridges to Charlotte and brought back Grayson Allen, Royce ONeale and an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, a package that gives the roster more shooting, more wing depth and a future asset to point to if the move works out.
Still, the reaction around the deal has been far less settled than the Hornets side of it, where the focus has been on veteran help and draft capital after moving on from players viewed as bad influences. For Phoenix, the bigger question is whether this was a clean basketball upgrade or the kind of transaction that reopens old concerns about whether the Suns are buying into a short-term fit without much certainty about what comes next. [Read more 🡒]