The Phoenix Suns play their first preseason game tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers with hopes of building something new around Devin Booker. Over the past two seasons, Phoenix has struggled with questionable roster decisions, poor depth, and contracts that handcuffed the organization’s flexibility. Building around three ball-dominant guards left the team top-heavy and unbalanced, drawing sharp criticism across the NBA and leading to disappointing on-court results.
Photo Cred: Bleacher Report
Owner Matt Ishbia has been direct in framing this season as a year of growth, development, and rediscovery of the team’s identity as a defense-first unit. After finishing 36-46, the Suns had to face hard truths about their direction. Nearly $150 million tied up in just three players forced difficult decisions, beginning with Bradley Beal. The two sides agreed to a buyout, with Beal walking away from the $96.9 million owed over two years.
While the deal leaves $19.6 million in dead money on Phoenix’s books across the next five seasons, it created much-needed cap flexibility, pulling the franchise under both the first and second luxury tax aprons for the first time in years. The most significant move, however, came when Phoenix traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. While losing a future Hall of Famer is never easy, the deal gave the Suns what they needed most—youth, length, and defensive versatility.
In return, Phoenix acquired Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Mark Williams, along with promising draft picks Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, and Koby Brea. It was a clear signal of a rebuild rooted in long-term vision rather than short-term contention. To lead this new era, the Suns turned to Jordan Ott, their eighth head coach in 11 years, but one viewed internally as a stabilizing presence capable of building culture and consistency after years of turnover.
For the first time in several years, the Suns are fully Devin Booker’s team. The three-time All-Star has already proven himself capable of carrying a franchise, guiding Phoenix to the 2021 NBA Finals before falling 4-2 to the Milwaukee Bucks. Since then, the team has won just two playoff series and missed the play-in tournament last season. At media day, Booker called this stretch “the hardest in my career. Being at the almost top and falling like we did.” Despite the setbacks, his commitment hasn’t wavered, as he signed a max extension this summer that keeps him in Phoenix through 2030.
This will be the first season since 2021–22—the year the Suns set a franchise record for wins—in which Booker enters as the unquestioned No. 1 option. The supporting cast around him looks very different. Young players like Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro, Jalen Green, and Mark Williams give the Suns athleticism, defensive upside, and room to grow. Add in this year’s draft class, and Phoenix suddenly looks like one of the most intriguing young rosters in the NBA.
Photo Cred: BR
Fans have embraced the direction, fueling momentum both on and off the court. The Suns currently rank No. 1 in new social media growth and No. 3 in new ticket sales league-wide, a reflection of the excitement around the rebuild. Ishbia’s impact is also evident with the WNBA’s Mercury, who under his leadership rebounded from a 9-31 record in 2023 to 27-17 in 2025, boosted by an expanded schedule and a clear vision.
A new culture is taking root in Phoenix—one built on youth, defense, and Booker’s leadership. In just one offseason, the Suns transitioned from one of the oldest rosters in the league to the youngest, with an average age of 25.3. That shift has fans believing the franchise’s future is brighter than it has been in years. While the Western Conference remains stacked with championship contenders, the Suns’ reset has created real optimism that they can emerge as a play-in threat this season and, in time, grow into something much bigger.
