Prior to each of the last four seasons, the Phoenix Suns were ranked in the top 10 of ESPN’s power rankings.
With the 2025-26 season tipping off Tuesday, the Suns are ranked 26th and are projected a mere 31.8 wins.
Analyst Zach Kram thinks the club could finish as low as 14th in the Western Conference. The Utah Jazz were the only team in the West ranked below Phoenix.
The Suns have shooting guards, centers and just about nothing else on their roster, and a lack of playmaking and defense will make it hard for them to win with any consistency in such a deep conference. Utah’s a near lock to finish last in the West, but second to last is a realistic possibility for a team that, until recently, was all-in for a title.
The West is set to be deep this season. Last year, all eight playoff teams in the conference had at least 48 wins. Only five teams in the East won that many games, and only six ended the year with a record above .500.
The Suns ended last season 11th in the West while having the oldest team in the NBA. The team did get younger this offseason, but it came at the cost of three of their top four players in minutes through the departures of Bradley Beal and Tyus Jones and the seven-team Kevin Durant trade.
In total, Devin Booker is set to be the only player in starting lineup who played 10 minutes per game for Phoenix last season. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin finds this lack of continuity to be the biggest concern for the Suns this season under new head coach Jordan Ott.
With this much turnover from last season, not only in the roster but with Ott taking over for Mike Budenholzer on the sidelines, it’s going to take time for this group to come together. And a preseason trip to China, cutting into training camp, didn’t help. Plus, playing in the West, there won’t be many nights when Phoenix will get a break.
This offseason will most likely not be the last with player turnover in Phoenix. The Suns lack draft control through the end of the decade and also have over $20 million in dead money annually through that timeframe.
Even if the Suns do begin to move toward a rebuild, Booker will probably still remain the centerpiece of the team. Phoenix owes Booker over $50 million through the 2028-29 season, so any changes will most likely move around him as the team looks to find their identity.
ESPN’s top question for the Suns this season is about Booker and his thoughts on the future of the organization.
Is Devin Booker on board with the direction of the franchise? It’s hard to believe that just four years ago, Booker had back-to-back 40-point games in the NBA Finals and the Suns were just two wins away from their first championship. Playing for his seventh different coach in Jordan Ott since being drafted in 2015, Booker, who turns 29 on Oct. 30, said he is ready to take on the challenge of leading Phoenix in the fiercely crowded Western Conference.
The Suns will kick off the 2025-26 season on Wednesday in Phoenix against the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. MST.