We’re continuing our Bright Side series by exploring what success looks like for each Suns player in 2025–26.
The story of CJ Huntley doesn’t begin with a draft night celebration. It starts in Boone, North Carolina, tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where a lanky kid quietly turned himself into a versatile forward over five long college seasons at Appalachian State. No blue-blood pedigree, no March Madness spotlight. Just steady growth, long reps, and a senior season stat line that made NBA scouts raise an eyebrow:
15.7 ppg, 8.1 RPG, 49% FG, 36% 3PT
MADISON, WI - NOVEMBER 10: Photo by Lawrence Iles/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Going undrafted but not unvalued, he plied his trade with a cross-country tour, making stops at workout sessions from one coast to the other, with a total of 12 stops to NBA teams. Now he lands in Phoenix on a two-way contract, trading the mountains for the Valley, with a chance to prove that modern stretch-big potential can translate from the Sun Belt Conference to the NBA floor.
He may not be a household name, but his opportunity is absolutely real.
A realistic roadmap to success
Success for CJ Huntley isn’t defined by immediate rotation minutes with the NBA club—and it absolutely isn’t defined by box-score explosion. His year one is about translation, adaptation, and earning trust across two fronts:
In the G League (Valley Suns): where he’ll likely get 25–30 minutes a night to expand his face-up game, continue taking 3–4 threes a game, and prove he can hold ground against NBA-caliber athletes.
In spot NBA minutes: where he won’t get freedom to experiment, but will need to show he can screen, rebound, stay vertical, make the simple play, and hit an open jumper.
If he can do that, even in 6-minute samples, coaches will remember. And so will we.
What his presence should feel like
Huntley should make the offense feel bigger without slowing it down and make the defense feel physical without over-fouling. He doesn’t need to dominate; he needs to help organize possessions—by grabbing contested rebounds, hitting a pick-and-pop 18-footer, or sneaking backdoor for a finish around the basket.
A successful CJ Huntley season won’t be measured in double-doubles. It’s measured in sentences like:
“We were +6 with Huntley on the floor.”
That’s success for a 23-year-old mid-major big who arrives as a quiet signing and could leave as a legitimate development win.
Success for Huntley won’t be loud; it will be felt in spacing, rebounding, and trust earned minute by minute.
It’ll start in the G-League and feed down to the opportunities he’s given when called up to join the main event. From Boone to the big leagues, CJ Huntley arrives as a late-blooming stretch-big who could quietly become a G League gem and Suns sleeper.
C.J. Huntley has goals: to gain weight, maintain his agility as a lob threat, and continue to develop his game. He wants to draw from the likes of Alex Sarr and Chet Holmgren, and for Phoenix Suns fans, if he earns that quiet trust, his season is already a win.
Check out some Huntley highlights here:
Listen to the latest podcast episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below.
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