The Phoenix Suns will not have much national TV attention this season, but one preseason matchup is set to reach a much bigger audience.
Phoenix’s home game against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 10 will air on ESPN2, giving fans across the country a chance to watch the Suns in preseason action.
It will be the first of two exhibition meetings between the teams. Four days later, the Suns head to San Antonio for the rematch on Oct. 14.
Phoenix’s preseason slate also includes road games against the Detroit Pistons on Monday, Oct. 5, and the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, Oct. 7, before the home date with San Antonio. The Suns then close the preseason at home against the Utah Jazz on Friday, Oct. 16.
Because stars are often used sparingly in preseason, the matchup still leaves room for a light workload in the first half and, potentially, a glimpse of names like Devin Booker and Victor Wembanyama. That’s the kind of draw that makes even an October tune-up worth circling.
Suns coach Jordan Ott had plenty to say about Wembanyama during their matchups last season.
"They're just downhill in the paint, and Wemby's a big piece of that," Ott said.
"He's been talked about, his shot profile has changed a little bit, just more aggressive, more into the paint, where his initial catch is, is deeper. It is tough to get to his ball, he shoots it so high, and he's tall, so it'll be another unique challenge.
"That's what the NBA is. And then defensively, just his paint presence defensively, what he's able to do, what they're able to do, to take away the paint because of his size, because of his rim presence."
San Antonio reached the 2026 NBA Finals before losing to the New York Knicks, while Phoenix’s previous games against the Spurs were tight enough to give Suns fans a reason to believe a little more continuity could help narrow the gap.
Phoenix’s biggest offseason changes came in the frontcourt, where rookie forward Koa Peat and trade pickup Miles Bridges now find themselves dealing with Wembanyama in the Western Conference.
The Spurs, meanwhile, return largely intact and are aiming to run it back. With no team since the 2019 Golden State Warriors winning the West in consecutive seasons, and the Oklahoma City Thunder looking for revenge, the race for the conference crown should be a lively one.
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