​DETROIT – The Phoenix Suns begin their preseason schedule Oct. 5 against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.The game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. MST.The Suns have five preseason games this season after playing four last year with two against the Brooklyn Nets in Macau, China.“We have a playoff-level team,” Suns team owner Mat Ishbia said. “Got a superstar (in Devin Booker), great players, on top of that, and we got young guys that are getting better. Not too many teams in the NBA, have that up-and-coming opportunity, along with a team that’s in the playoffs and got to keep getting better.”The Suns reached the playoffs last season after missing out in 2024-25 with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.“We feel really good about where we’re at, but at the same time, winning is fragile, and culture is fragile,” Ishbia continued. “So, you build on a year in, year out, and we’re going to make sure that we continue to build upon it, and we feel really good about where we’re at right now.”Ishbia has had the Suns take a tour of his company, United Wholesale Mortgage, in Pontiac, or visit his Michigan home when the Suns play in Detroit.The Pistons posted the best record in the Eastern Conference last season at 60-22.Led by All-NBA point guard Cade Cunningham, the Pistons advanced to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games.The Suns continue their preseason schedule on the road Oct. 7 against the Chicago Bulls at 5 p.m. MST.The Bulls haven’t had a winning season since 2021-22, but have optimism with rookie Caleb Wilson, the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.The Suns will face the defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs in their home preseason opener Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. MST on ESPN2.With All-NBA big Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs went from enduring six consecutive losing seasons to reaching 62 victories last season. They stunned the then-defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals.The New York Knicks topped the Spurs in the NBA Finals, 4-1.Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns lookahead. Phoenix opens preseason schedule on the road