​The 2025-26 Phoenix Suns emerged as one of the more pleasing surprises around the NBA, surpassing expectations by a margin of at least 10 wins according to betting markets. Their 45-win season opened the door for general manager Brian Gregory to build on the momentum surrounding franchise centerpiece Devin Booker. But is Phoenix prepared to actually grow on the platform that has been established over the past year?
The hierarchy in the Western Conference is likely to receive less attention than the East, at least for the moment, since the West hasn’t undergone as many seismic changes among its teams. That doesn’t mean the Suns’ potential standing won’t be pivotal to the franchise’s next 12 months. The top four teams currently look reasonably secure, though plenty can still shift before April of next year. For now, the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets appear to be in solid position.
Determining the next tier is considerably more difficult, because Phoenix should be grouped with rivals such as the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers. The upcoming addition of Miles Bridges, however, could cloud how the roster comes together in year two of Jordan Ott’s regime. Houston and Los Angeles may hold an edge over Phoenix at present, but neither has enjoyed an especially reassuring offseason despite pursuing major star talent over the last year and a half.
Phoenix and the Portland Trail Blazers will likely be linked for the foreseeable future, given Portland’s win in April’s play-in game. Yet their offseason has been puzzling: Portland swapped for Ja Morant, creating another backcourt logjam, brought Micah Nori on a one-year deal with a team option, and committed to a questionable center-rotation plan moving forward. It’s entirely possible that the strategy put forth by Portland GM Joe Cronin could backfire. By contrast, the Golden State Warriors remain a high-floor, low-ceiling threat, able to contend as long as Stephen Curry is on the floor.
The Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, and New Orleans Pelicans are all at various stages of rebuilding to close out the league’s landscape. None of these teams should pose an immediate threat to the Suns.
Taken as a whole, it’s reasonable to expect the Suns to hover somewhere between the sixth and eighth seeds for the upcoming season. The continuity the team has built, Ott’s increasing comfort as the locker-room leader, and the possibility that other contenders may falter all point toward encouraging signs for Phoenix as the new season approaches.
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