RSS Suns Team Notes

Phoenix Suns · Aug 28, 2025

Defining success for Devin Booker defines success for the Suns

We’re continuing our Bright Side series by exploring what success looks like for each Suns player in 2025–26.

We’ve been spending our days dissecting what success looks like for every name on the Phoenix Suns roster. But no player holds the keys to the franchise’s fate more than Devin Booker. Defining success for him isn’t just an exercise, it’s a prerequisite to understanding what this season can actually become.

It’s a cruel place to be, really. To have a star in his prime, one of the purest scorers of his generation, and then surround him with a roster that doesn’t accentuate his strengths or elevate his ceiling. That’s where the Suns are after two years of reckless swings.

They went big, acquiring Kevin Durant, arguably the most efficient scorer the game has ever seen. And then, rather than building balance around that foundation, they layered on Bradley Beal. A gifted player, yes, but a duplicative one. A move that forced the Suns into an ill-fitting brand of “positionless” basketball, the kind that looked intriguing in theory but collapsed under the weight of its own redundancy in practice.

Two shooting guards trying to share the same oxygen. Booker adapting, contorting, carrying more than he should. The result? A system that never truly empowered him, one that left him in purgatory between greatness and futility. Gone are Durant and Beal. Enter Jalen Green. Here we are, on the cusp of a new season, staring at the same equation written across the chalkboard. The same unsolved problem.

When you zoom out and look at the Suns as an organization, you see a franchise trying to course-correct without truly putting Devin Booker in a position to succeed. You can tell me all day long that Jalen Green is going to be the point guard. Fine. But is that a good move? Is it a smart move? More importantly, is it a winning move? No. And I’ll believe that until I see otherwise.

I expect we’ll see more of Booker as the primary ball handler next season than what’s being advertised, simply because he’s proven he can do it. And do it well. Last year in crunch time, he posted a 4.0 assist-to-turnover ratio and a team-high 30.8 percent assist rate. Those are elite numbers under pressure.

But here’s the mental block I can’t shake: that’s not the best version of Devin Booker.

We’ve seen him at small forward a year ago. We saw him take on the full-time point guard role two years ago. Both versions fell short. The truth is, Devin Booker is one of the best pure scorers in the game, and the most effective way to maximize him is simple: play him where he belongs, at shooting guard.

The Suns haven’t done that. They’ve bent him, stretched him, and reshaped him to patch their roster flaws, instead of constructing a roster that amplifies what he already is. That failure isn’t on him. It’s on them.

So when we talk about defining success for Devin Booker next season, it comes down to this: excelling in whatever role is handed to him. Whether that’s as the primary scorer, the de facto point guard, or some hybrid of the two, success means playing that role with precision.

And at the core of that is decision-making.

That’s where Booker’s success on the court begins. No more inviting double teams only to get swallowed by them and forced into bad shots or rushed passes. He has to master the balance. When to throttle up and take over as the alpha scorer, and when to throttle down and lean into his playmaking instincts. With a decade of NBA experience, he’s already shown he can make the right reads. The challenge now is doing it constantly, consistently, relentlessly.

That’s the first marker of success for Booker in 2025: evolving into a smarter, sharper decision-maker every single night.

When we define success for Devin Booker next season, perhaps the most important marker is this: he must fully embrace becoming the leader of this team. Strip away the stats, the highlights, the scoring outbursts. His legacy this year will be measured in how much he elevates the people around him, both on and off the court.

Leadership takes different forms. Not every captain is a chest-thumper or a sideline screamer. History is filled with quiet giants. Tim Duncan. Hakeem Olajuwon. Steve Nash. Men who didn’t need a megaphone to command respect. Devin Booker isn’t going to be a “rah-rah” guy. That’s not who he is. And that’s fine.

But what he must be is undeniable.

He has to hold teammates accountable with his actions and his words. He has to lean into the fact that this is his team, his era, his responsibility. That is what leadership looks like. And for the Suns, it’s the single most important factor heading into the season, outside of Jordan Ott installing his system and re-establishing a culture. Because make no mistake, the last two years have been plagued by poor leadership. Players talked about being better, coaches talked about focusing on the next game, and yet it never materialized. The words were empty because the walk never matched the talk.

Every championship team, every successful organization in any field, begins with leadership. Culture is just the soil, but leaders are the ones who grow in it, shape it, and drive everyone else forward. And until we see that from this Suns roster, there’s no reason to believe it exists.

It can exist, though. It has to. And it begins with Devin Armani Booker.

Listen to the latest podcast episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below.

Stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Podbean, Castbox.

Please subscribe, rate, and review.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...ship-success-keys-2025-26-nba-season-analysis

Phoenix Suns · Aug 28, 2025

Predicting all 82 games for the Phoenix Suns this season

This article is for the sickos. If you are not a basketball junkie, go ahead and scroll to the next page. This isn’t for you.

I am going to do an extensive exercise that will surely age poorly, but we’ll see how many I get correct. It’s an impossible mission due to the external factors that occur on a game-by-game basis throughout the rigors of an 82-game season.

There will be some games where teams rest starters against the Suns that I cannot predict. There will be injuries as well. Doing this is like throwing a dart at a dartboard in a pitch-black room, hoping to hit a bullseye.

Overall Record Prediction: 35-47

Let’s take a look at how I got here.

First 10 games

*indicates the 2nd night of a back-to-back

vs. Sacramento Kings — W (1-0)

@ Los Angeles Clippers — L (1-1)

@ Denver Nuggets* — L (1-2)

@ Utah Jazz — W (2-2)

vs. Memphis Grizzlies — L (2-3)

vs. Utah Jazz — W (3-3)

vs. San Antonio Spurs — W (4-3)

@ Golden State Warriors — L (4-4)

vs. Los Angeles Clippers — L (4-5)

@ Los Angeles Clippers — L (4-6)

This is a whole lotta Clippers. The teams will face off three times in the opening ten games. Yeah, they’re gonna be sick of each other. I have them dropping all three games to the Clippers, but taking care of business against some of the bottom of the pack teams out West.

I just have a feeling the Clippers’ group of vets led by Ty Lue will have this young Suns’ team’s number this season.

Games 11-20

vs. New Orleans Pelicans — W (5-6)

@ Dallas Mavericks — L (5-7)

vs. Indiana Pacers* — W (6-7)

vs. Atlanta Hawks — W (7-7)

@ Portland Trail Blazers — W (8-7)

vs. Minnesota Timberwolves — L (8-8)

vs. San Antonio Spurs — L (8-9)

vs. Houston Rockets* — L (8-10)

@ Sacramento Kings — W (9-10)

@ Oklahoma City Thunder — L (9-11)

This stretch of games offers a massive opportunity for the Suns. There are several winnable games here that they MUST take advantage of if they want to exceed expectations. And of course, the big return of Kevin Durant to Phoenix looms here. The energy in the building that night will be electric.

Could they pull off an upset? I don’t love that it’s the second of a back-to-back, but I’m not ruling it out.

Games 21-30

vs. Denver Nuggets — L (9-12)

@ Los Angeles Lakers — L (9-13)

@ Houston Rockets — L (9-14)

@ Minnesota Timberwolves — L (9-15)

vs. Golden State Warriors — W (10-15)

@ Golden State Warriors — L (10-16)

vs. Los Angeles Lakers — L (10-17)

@ New Orleans Pelicans — W (11-17)

@ New Orleans Pelicans* — L (11-18)

@ Washington Wizards — W (12-18)

This is where the wheels could start to fall off and kill some of that early hope after hovering around or near .500. If they take care of business and steal a win from the Lakers and sweep the Pelicans in their weird two-game back-to-back roady in NOLA, then they could come out of this stretch a little less beat up.

Games 31-40

@ Cleveland Cavaliers — L (12-19)

vs. Sacramento Kings — W (13-19)

vs. Oklahoma City Thunder — L (13-20)

@ Houston Rockets* — L (13-21)

@ Memphis Grizzlies — W (14-21)

vs. New York Knicks — L (14-22)

vs. Washington Wizards — W (15-22)

@ Miami Heat — L (15-23)

@ Detroit Pistons — L (15-24)

@ New York Knicks — L (15-25)

This stretch is even tougher than the last. I’m giving them a road win over Memphis this time, but dropping both games to the Knicks. They’d better hope they take care of the Kings and Wizards, or this could be a season-ending stretch, depending on where they are in the standings entering it.

Games 41-50

@ Brooklyn Nets — W (16-25)

@ Philadelphia 76ers* — W (17-25)

@ Atlanta Hawks — W (18-25)

vs. Miami Heat — L (18-26)

vs. Brooklyn Nets — W (19-26)

vs. Detroit Pistons — W (20-26)

vs. Cleveland Cavaliers* — L (20-27)

vs. Los Angeles Clippers — L (20-28)

@ Portland Trail Blazers — L (20-29)

vs. Golden State Warriors — W (21-29)

Let’s get a nice little three-game win streak on the East Coast going, why not? There are some tough games in here, but overall, this looks like a prime opportunity to make up some ground.

Games 51-60

vs. Philadelphia 76ers — L (21-30)

vs. Dallas Mavericks — W (22-30)

vs. Oklahoma City Thunder* — L (22-31)

@ San Antonio Spurs — L (22-32)

vs. Orlando Magic — L (22-33)

vs. Portland Trail Blazers* — W (23-33)

vs. Boston Celtics — W (24-33)

vs. Los Angeles Lakers — W (25-33)

@ Sacramento Kings — L (25-34)

vs. Chicago Bulls — W (26-34)

Back-to-back home wins over the Celtics and Lakers in late February are going to feel good.

Games 61-70

vs. New Orleans Pelicans* — W (27-34)

vs. Charlotte Hornets — W (28-34)

@ Milwaukee Bucks — L (28-35)

@ Indiana Pacers — L (28-36)

@ Toronto Raptors* — L (28-37)

@ Boston Celtics — L (28-38)

@ Minnesota Timberwolves — L (28-39)

@ San Antonio Spurs — L (28-40)

vs. Milwaukee Bucks — W (29-40)

vs. Toronto Raptors* — W (30-40)

This is a sneaky, tough stretch. Both Toronto games are the second of a back-to-back, and they have a six-game road trip. They’re going to need to start and finish strong in between that patch of games.

Games 71-80

vs. Denver Nuggets — L (30-41)

vs. Utah Jazz — W (31-41)

@ Memphis Grizzlies — L (31-42)

@ Orlando Magic* — L (31-43)

@ Charlotte Hornets — W (32-43)

@ Chicago Bulls — W (33-43)

vs. Houston Rockets — L (33-44)

vs. Dallas Mavericks* — L (33-45)

@ Los Angeles Lakers — L (33-46)

@ Oklahoma City Thunder — W (34-46)

Now you’re probably wondering why we’re stuck at 34-46. That’s only 80 games, right?

The In-Season Tournament complicates things, as teams that do not qualify for the knockout rounds will play regular-season games on Dec. 11 & 12 and Dec. 14 & 15. So those games are tbd depending on how things shake out. Let’s call that an even split and say they go 1-1 in those games, putting them at 35-47.

Their Vegas over/under win total is 31.5, so this has them overachieving based on those expectations.

Am I too high on them? Am I too low? Let me know and drop your predictions in the comments below!

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...all-82-games-for-the-phoenix-suns-this-season

Phoenix Suns · Aug 28, 2025

Suns Reacts Survey: Who starts at small forward for the Suns?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Suns fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

For the most part, the Phoenix Suns’ starting lineup feels set, at least from our perspective. The power forward spot is still up for debate, but small forward? That feels a little more locked in. Or should it?

The Suns actually have multiple options at the three, each bringing a different wrinkle to how this team can play. So in this week’s SB Nation Reacts, we’re breaking down the possibilities and asking the question: Who should start at small forward for the Suns next season?

The Case for Dillon Brooks

You could start with the salary, since he’s the highest-paid player in contention for this spot at $21.1 million next season. But the money isn’t the whole story. He brings a two-way presence that fits what the Suns are trying to build.

Offensively, he’s not a star, but he’s steady. With Houston last season, he averaged 14.0 points per game on 43/40/82 shooting splits. That’s reliable enough to slot alongside Jalen Green and Devin Booker, where spacing and gravity create open looks he can consistently cash in on.

Defensively, though, is where he earns his paycheck. He’s a dog, a grinder. B-Ball Index graded him as an A+ in Perimeter Isolation Defense and a B- as an Off-Ball Chaser. He applies pressure at the point of attack, which is exactly the kind of defensive intensity the Suns want to hang their hat on next season.

The Case for Grayson Allen

Grayson is another strong option, and through the salary lens, he makes sense as well. GA is set to earn $16.9 million next season.

If it’s an offensive punch you’re after, Grayson delivers. Two seasons ago as a starter, he led the league in three-point shooting at 46.1% while averaging 13.5 points across 74 starts. From a spacing standpoint, you won’t find many small forwards who provide more value. He can also put the ball on the deck and attack, applying pressure at the rim, particularly in transition.

Defensively, there’s a noticeable drop-off compared to Dillon Brooks, but he’s not a liability. B-Ball Index grades him as a C+ in Perimeter Isolation Defense and a B in Off-Ball Chaser Defense. Serviceable, but not spectacular. The real question with Grayson is whether you prioritize his offensive firepower over the defensive edge other options might bring.

The Case for Ryan Dunn

Adding Ryan Dunn to the starting rotation gives the Suns a true point-of-attack defender with length, instincts, and relentless energy. His aggressiveness on the perimeter makes him a dangerous weapon at the three, and when paired with Jalen Green and Devin Booker, he helps cover for their defensive shortcomings.

The challenge with Dunn, of course, is on the offensive end. But as he enters his second season, there’s hope for growth. His three-point accuracy remains a question mark, though Summer League showed flashes of confidence in attacking the basket and finishing through contact. If that translates, it could carve out real staying power for him in the NBA.

And if the Suns view Dunn as part of their future, now might be the time to show it. Give him the opportunity, let him grow into the role, and trust his development. If he evolves into a reliable three-and-D wing, that’s a massive win for Phoenix. In a season of transition, as the team resets its foundation and culture, Dunn could be both a symbol and a product of that reformation.

The Case for Nigel Hayes-Davis

Hayes-Davis is another long, versatile defender who also brings an offensive punch. You don’t win EuroLeague MVP by accident, and while he’s now 30, this season represents his first real opportunity to showcase the maturity and growth he’s developed since his last NBA stint back in 2018.

For the Suns, starting him at the three early in the season could make sense. It would give Hayes-Davis a chance to prove himself against NBA competition while also providing stability as the younger players continue to develop around him. His combination of size, defense, and proven scoring ability overseas makes him a wild card option worth considering in the rotation.

So what do you think? Who should the Suns roll with at the small forward spot? Do you pencil in Dillon Brooks, call it a day, and let his defense set the tone? Or do you slide him to the bench and give someone else the shot, whether it’s Grayson’s offensive firepower, Dunn’s defensive upside, or Hayes-Davis’ all-around versatility?

This is where it gets fun. The Suns actually have options, and how they play this card could go a long way in defining their identity next season.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...on-brooks-grayson-allen-ryan-dunn-hayes-davis

Phoenix Suns · Aug 28, 2025

How a ticket near the Suns bench led to the encounter of a lifetime

I know I’ve been blessed. As a lifelong Phoenix Suns fan, I never imagined I’d end up where I am now, granted access to the team, sitting in media scrums, interviewing players, watching shootarounds from just a few feet away. I grew up loving this team, living and breathing sports, but I never envisioned I’d step into a space where I was part of the local media covering them. It’s been surreal in the best way.

And yet, within all of that access, there are certain moments that carry more weight than others. Encounters that stick, that etch themselves into your memory because they’re more than routine. They’re personal. My most unforgettable interaction overall probably came through a back-and-forth in the DMs with Kevin Durant. But when it comes to in-person encounters, the moment that stands above the rest didn’t even happen in my role as media. It happened when I was simply a fan in the stands, ticket in hand.

And no, this isn’t my Shawn Marion story…

A few seasons back, right around the time Matthew Lissy and I were kicking around the idea of starting our own Phoenix Suns podcast, we bought tickets to a game. This was when the Suns weren’t very good, and ticket prices reflected it. We ended up in the third row under the baseline, right by the Suns’ bench.

For two lifelong fans, it was surreal.

One of the perks of those seats was access to the makeshift buffet tucked under the stands. It was nothing glamorous at the time. This was 2018, before the arena renovations. Just banquet tables laid out with food and drinks.

As Matthew and I stood at a high-top table, grabbing a quick bite, I decided I wanted some coffee. I walked over to the machine, cup in hand. And that’s when it happened.

Standing next to me, reaching for the same pot of coffee, was Jerry Colangelo. The godfather of Phoenix sports. I froze for a second, shocked, humbled. Then I turned, extended my hand, and said the only words that came to mind:

“Thank you, Jerry, for everything you’ve done. My dad used to say that Phoenix was just a wide spot on the road to Los Angeles until you brought the Suns here.”

He smiled, chuckled softly, and replied with a simple, “You’re welcome.”

That was it. Nothing grand, nothing staged. Just a small exchange over a cup of coffee. But my night was made. My fandom was cemented. I couldn’t wait to tell my dad, and when I did, he loved it. I met Paul Westphal that night as well.

Matthew and I went back to our seats, got on the big screen a couple of times, and enjoyed ourselves despite the Suns losing. But that one brief moment, meeting the man who brought basketball to Phoenix, will stick with me forever.

So I’ll ask you: what about you? What’s the most memorable in-person encounter you’ve ever had with a member of the Suns?

Listen to the latest podcast episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below.

Stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Podbean, Castbox.

Please subscribe, rate, and review.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...langelo-most-memorable-encounter-suns-history

Phoenix Suns · Aug 28, 2025

The NBA has an 82 game problem and the solution isn’t what you think

As I work my way through the 101 off-season questions I’ve lined up, one stood out. A familiar debate, thought-provoking and always circling the conversation: should the NBA season be longer, shorter, or is 82 games the sweet spot?

By instinct, I lean traditionalist. I’m wired that way.

When baseball outlawed the shift and introduced a pitch clock, I bristled. When the National League adopted the DH, I thought the sport had been gutted. 150 years of heritage had been tossed aside in one stroke. But here’s the thing: the changes worked. The game is faster, sharper, and more watchable. I was wrong. I’ll admit it. I’ve even gone from mocking robot umps to pounding the table for them. At this point, I don’t care who makes the call. Just get it right, dammit.

When it comes to basketball, I don’t really have an issue with the 82-game schedule. I get the counterarguments. The NBA has never been faster, never more athletic, never stocked with players who train at such an elite level. The game moves at a breakneck pace, and with it comes the narrative that injuries are more frequent. And that trimming games would protect the product by protecting the players.

Sounds good in theory. But I don’t buy it. Not the part about this being the most athletic era we’ve ever seen, that’s undeniable. What I question is the link between schedule length and injuries. Because injuries will always happen. And in my eyes, a lot of what we’re seeing now isn’t fatigue-based. It’s the nature of the sport itself.

So I land on the traditional side of this debate. Keep it at 82. That’s been the standard since 1962, the measuring stick every great player has been held to. Cut it down to 72 and suddenly LeBron James is cemented as the all-time scoring king forever. No one could ever touch the number simply because the math wouldn’t allow it.

And let’s not kid ourselves, shall we? The league isn’t giving up games. Games equal money, and the NBA isn’t in the business of leaving cash on the table, especially while they’re pulling in record profits. Is that in the best interest of the players? No. But it’s the harsh, unshakable reality of the business.

But still, I don’t think the NBA should move away from the 82-game regular season. What I do believe is that the calendar needs a hard shift.

Look around. It’s August, the dead zone of sports. And it doesn’t have to be. Right now, the NBA tips off in mid-October, dropping itself right in the middle of both college football and the NFL, as well as the World Series. No wonder the league has to cook up gimmicks like the NBA Cup just to pretend anyone cares. Who won the NBA Cup last year? Exactly. You had to stop and think. I did too. Was it the Bucks? Nobody remembers because it doesn’t matter.

The first real moment the NBA owns the spotlight is Christmas Day. So why not start the season then? Push everything back two months. Tip-off on Christmas. All-Star weekend in mid-March, where it actually sits at the halfway point instead of two-thirds in. Playoffs in June. And then? Crown a champion right about now, late August, when the sports world is wide open. No football. Baseball stuck in its mid-summer slog. The NBA could own the summer and dominate the airwaves.

If that scheduling tweak drives more revenue, maybe that’s when the league finally feels comfortable shaving off five games a year and trimming some of those brutal back-to-backs. Or if they stretch it out correctly, the 82-game schedule can avoid all of those pesky B2B’s.

So while I’m not in favor of shortening the season, and I know that puts me in the minority, I am in favor of shifting it.

At the end of the day, the number of games isn’t the problem. It’s the calendar. 82 has always been the standard, and it should stay that way. But if the NBA really wants to maximize its product, showcase its stars, and give fans something to rally around when the sports world is starved for action, it’s not about fewer games. It’s about smarter timing. Start on Christmas, end in August, and let basketball finally own the summer.

Listen to the latest podcast episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below.

Stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Podbean, Castbox.

Please subscribe, rate, and review.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...hristmas-end-august-shift-calendar-fan-debate

Phoenix Suns · Aug 28, 2025

Can Devin Booker lead the NBA in scoring?

Kevin Durant is gone. Bradley Beal is gone.

Now Devin Booker returns as Phoenix’s unquestioned offensive centerpiece, shouldering a heavier workload than he has in recent years. Could this be the season he challenges for the NBA scoring title?

RealGM’s Wes Goldberg stated that he likes Devin Booker to win the NBA scoring title this season. Our Bright Side squad shared their thoughts on this here if you’d like to read their analysis.

The Case for Booker Taking the Scoring Crown

Booker’s scoring has been elite for years. Last season, he averaged 25.6 points per game, ranking ninth in the league despite being mediocre relative to his standards. His effectiveness and efficiency took a dip; let’s not sugarcoat it. He was mostly underwhelming in what we can chalk up as a lost season for the Suns.

Devin Booker can be better. He has to be better this season.

His career high is 27.8 ppg in 2022-23, right before Phoenix went all-in to acquire Kevin Durant. That 27.8 mark would’ve ranked him 4th last season behind only SGA, Giannis, and Jokic. So he’s not as far off as you think on the surface if he gets to that level again and improves his three-point efficiency while getting to the charity stripe more frequently.

With Durant and Beal out of the picture, Booker becomes Phoenix’s go-to option every night. The offense will run through him more often in isolation and iso-play, meaning more shot attempts. The increased volume is something he’s shown he’s able to handle.

Many caution that Booker’s dual role as facilitator may limit raw scoring volume. Yet they also acknowledge that if the Suns lean on him correctly and manage to take some playmaking burden off him, his shot totals could climb enough to compete for the scoring title.

Devin Booker Scoring With One Dribble pic.twitter.com/8PTpzwkmaz

— alessio (@alessio_nba) August 26, 2025

Click to expand...

In short, Book can score in volume if Phoenix leans into it. It is possible, even if the odds aren’t super high.

But then there’s the other side of the coin.

The Case Against Booker

There are reasons to temper expectations.

First, Booker is also the primary ball-handler and facilitator. I don’t want to hear about Jalen Green as a point guard. Neither of them are point guards.

Last season, Book posted a career-high 7.1 assists per game. Acting as a point guard — even unofficially — diminishes opportunities to chase scoring volume like elite isolation-heavy guards. He needs to find a better balance this season of picking when to look for his own and when to distribute. Simply put, we need an aggressive Devin Booker.

If Jalen Green takes some of that burden off of him this season, he hypothetically could get back to being more of an off-ball and iso threat. I’m not super confident in Green being that facilitator, but it would be a welcome sight to see him take positive steps in that direction.

Second, Booker trails scorers like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and others in free-throw creation. He averaged 6.4 free-throw attempts per game, which was just 14th in the league. Leading the league in scoring often requires a knack for drawing fouls and getting to the line frequently… areas where Booker has not consistently excelled.

Let’s take a look at the last five scoring champs’ free throw attempts per game:

2025 — SGA: 8.8

2024 — Luka: 8.7

2023 — Embiid: 11.7

2022 — Embiid: 11.8

2021 — Steph: 6.3

The only one in Booker’s ballpark is Steph Curry, which is due to his otherworldly three-point shooting volume and efficiency. So, an increase in that department is the first obvious step outside of improved efficiency across the board.

This graphic is wild, but I thought the statistic was too fun not to share. That’s some elite company to be in.

NBA scoring leaders over the last decade:

18,983 – Giannis Antetokounmpo
18,801 – James Harden
17,686 – DeMar DeRozan
17,621 – Damian Lillard
17,271 – LeBron James
16,672 – Stephen Curry
16,452 – Devin Booker
16,210 – Nikola Jokić
15,485 – Russell Westbrook… pic.twitter.com/pfjRBRY7Mg

— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) August 19, 2025

Click to expand...

Teams are going to build their entire game plan around slowing Booker down, so it’s vital that his teammates are reliable offensively.

“Opposing defenses already see how limited this roster is without a secondary efficient scorer (reminder: Jalen Green was 12th on the Rockets in eFG%), and they’ll build game plans to suffocate him. For all of Booker’s greatness, he’s not a player who generates easy points through sheer physical dominance. His weapon is the jumper, one of the cleanest in the league, and that will always keep him dangerous.” – John Voita on Devin Booker’s scoring upside.

Click to expand...

The competition is fierce, too. The West remains stacked, and players like Luka Dončić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and SGA excel in higher-volume scoring systems built around them. Without an easier path, Book could end up just beneath the top tier.

What would it take?

Booker has finished top ten in scoring consistently. Now, with the offense restructured around him, there is upside. If he can either nudge his scoring average up a couple of points, or if the league’s other stars slow down slightly, his ceiling includes cracking the top 3-5.

But leading the league? That’s ambitious. The numbers suggest he could approach that level if Phoenix empowers him to score full-time rather than share playmaking duties. An even better question might be if the Suns even want him to be a league-leading scorer. Does that bring out the best version of this team? I think not. Force-feeding him to put up numbers isn’t a winning strategy. They’ll need him to be the engine, no doubt. But there comes a need for balance from the rest of the team.

If I had to pick, I’d say he clears the bar for being a top-7 scoring leader, but not necessarily the top dog.

The bet is safer on Booker entering the conversation, rather than walking away with the crown. It would take a leap in his game that we haven’t seen yet. Maybe it’s there. We shall see.

Where do you have him finishing this season on that list, Suns fans?

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/suns-analysis/24453397/can-devin-booker-lead-the-nba-in-scoring

Phoenix Suns · Aug 29, 2025

The Phoenix Suns might have just leaked the boldest shorts in the NBA

A new season means a new wardrobe. That’s the NBA now. Uniforms as fleeting as trends, recycled as fast as hashtags. The Association and Icon looks are locked in, permanent fixtures in a league that loves its staples. But the City and Statement editions? Those are seasonal experiments that are here today and gone tomorrow.

Last year’s Statement fit, the black-on-black killer with the Valley gradient pulsing through the numbers and framing that sharp ‘PHX’ across the chest, has been retired. Packed up, folded away, another relic for the merch graveyard. So what steps into the void? That’s the mystery beginning to unravel. The leaks are dripping out, one piece at a time.

And it starts at the bottom. With the shorts.

FIRST LOOK

2025/26 Phoenix Suns Statement Edition shorts

These are the “authentic” versions, but you can expect the retail “swingman” versions to be very similar (with pockets)

Initial thoughts and jersey expectations??

Via 2hands_shop https://t.co/Vud7bMnS9w pic.twitter.com/oV56lquCCd

— It’s The Shorts (@itstheshorts) August 28, 2025

Click to expand...

I don’t know much, but I know this: those shorts are busy.

Yes, we’ve seen type running across the right leg before. Back when the sunburst first showed its face, “Phoenix” lived there. So the concept isn’t foreign. The twist this time? It reads “Suns.” Add in a sunburst that practically swallows the fabric whole, though the gradient running through it does give off a slick vibe, and you’ve got a lot to process. A lot to absorb. And truthfully, we won’t know if it works until the players hit the floor.

But what about the full uniform? According to @SunsUniTracker, who always has a finger on the pulse, he predicts the jersey itself will dial things back, less chaos than what’s happening below the waist.

Here's a look at what the whole uniform will probably look like. Not sure if there will be more details on the jersey, but I kinda hope not since the shorts are really busy already. https://t.co/uLPIqxcrZw pic.twitter.com/mnPOM2olAQ

— Suns Uniform Tracker (@SunsUniTracker) August 28, 2025

Click to expand...

What we do know: the City edition is returning to the Valley. The design that sparked the franchise’s entire rebrand. The jersey tied to both glory and heartbreak, worn in a Finals run and through a 64-win masterpiece. That one is etched in the team’s identity now.

The Statement edition? At the very least, it’s a step up from those fluorescent-orange disasters we were forced to stomach in the Finals and beyond. These new ones? They live somewhere in the middle. Intriguing enough to want a second look. Polarizing enough to demand one. I need to see them moving, sweating, battling under the lights before I can crown them…or burn them.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...5-city-statement-edition-valley-jersey-shorts

Phoenix Suns · Aug 31, 2025

SBN Reacts: Dillon Brooks should start at small forward

Plenty hangs in the balance for the Phoenix Suns this season. Can they finally click on offense? What wrinkles will new head coach Jordan Ott add to the playbook? Will Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale become trade chips by February? Can this team, when it’s all said and done, actually stack wins?

One thing, though, doesn’t seem up for debate? Who should man the small forward spot? The Suns have options. Sharpshooters. Defensive bruisers. Role players who can do a bit of both. But if you ask the fan base, the answer is clear. By a wide margin, they want Dillon Brooks in that starting five. And honestly? They’re right.

It’s been quite the journey, hasn’t it? Dillon Brooks has always been that guy. The one you love to hate when he’s wearing the other team’s colors. He’s aggressive. Overly aggressive, some would argue. Dangerous? Sure, that case could be made, too. I know I’ve unleashed more than one rant about him on the Suns JAM Session Podcast after facing him.

But now? Now he’s one of ours. And suddenly, we can’t wait to cheer on every snarl, every shove, every bit of chaos he brings. Because as much as he ruffled feathers around the league, he plays with a fire this team was missing last year.

When you break down the small forward spot, Brooks makes the most sense as the starter. He’s not going to tower over anyone, but he’s built from the stuff that shifts games: attitude and effort. His impact won’t always show up in a box score. Sure, he’s got the chops to be a legit three-and-D weapon for Phoenix, but what really matters is the energy he injects into every possession. The way he drags teammates into the fight, especially on defense.

And that’s the point. The Suns are busy rewriting their identity, trying to reestablish who they are in this league. And defense looks like the cornerstone. Bringing in Brooks wasn’t an accident. It was a statement. He should be the starter, not because he’s the flashiest or most skilled option, but because he’s the one who leaves a mark.

And that’s the whole mission this season: leave a mark. Even if the odds are against you, leave a mark.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...arting-small-forward-defense-offense-identity

Phoenix Suns · Aug 31, 2025

Where does the Suns big man rotation stack up in the West?

The Western Conference is a beast. Bigs are back. Where do the Suns stack up?

The Phoenix Suns finally have vertical size and a real paint deterrent, maybe two.

Mark Williams gives them lob gravity, second-chance juice, and a true rim anchor. Nick Richards adds 10-15 minutes of blunt-force rebounding. Rookie Khaman Maluach is a project, but the archetype fits. Oso Ighodaro is undersized, but interesting.

In a conference loaded with top-end 5s, Phoenix moves from “patchwork” to “respectable with upside,” which matters when you live in a conference with Jokic, Davis, Sabonis, Wembanyama, Zubac, etc.

The Suns have its strongest group of centers in recent memory. Where do they stack up in the West?

TIERS: At a glance

This will be ranked strictly by production expected next season, with an emphasis on high-end talent over depth. “Bigs” are subjective, and some may think of bigger PFs who play small-ball center for time-to-time fit the bill. I try to navigate those waters as smoothly as possible in this imperfect exercise.

ELITE

Denver Nuggets, 2. Dallas Mavericks, 3. Houston Rockets

The clear number one here is the Denver Nuggets.

DEN: Nikola Jokic, Jonas Valanciunas, Zeke Nnaji.

Nikola Jokic alone makes this an easy call. He is one of the greatest centers of all time and is somehow only getting better every year. Now, he has the best backup center he’s had in years (maybe ever for him?) with the addition of Jonas Valanciunas. That is a bruising, imposing frontcourt. Shoutout Zeke Nnaji.

The Dallas Mavericks are in the conversation due to their depth and talent, especially if you include Anthony Davis, who falls under the “big man” category.

DAL: Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II

They can shift either Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II alongside AD for a massive frontcourt. And of course, you still have to deal with Cooper Flagg, who slides down the position chart as a giant 3.

Last but not least comes the Houston Rockets, who have a pair of veterans alongside the young stud Alperen Sengun.

HOU: Alperen Sengun, Clint Capela, Steven Adams

Steven Adams and Clint Capela each offer a different look, but should provide stability and depth behind and alongside Sengun. Durant gets himself quite the trio of centers to work with. That’s 48 minutes of quality center play.

STRONG

4. San Antonio Spurs, 5. Oklahoma City Thunder, 6. Minnesota Timberwolves, 7. Los Angeles Clippers

The Spurs have Wemby, of course, and new addition Luke Kornet in their frontcourt. Wembanyama isn’t your typical big man, but he’s one of the most gifted large humans in the association already, and for that alone, that puts the Spurs at the top of the second tier for me.

SAN: Victor Wembanyama, Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk

OKC: Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, Thomas Sorber

MIN: Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, Julius Randle (stretch), Joan Beringer

LAC: Ivica Zubac, Brook Lopez, John Collins (stretch)

These teams all rely on their backline of defense in one way or another. The Thunder should probably get more respect here, but that’s just how high I am on Wemby’s two-way impact. Minnesota is deep and versatile. Zubac remains one of the most underrated players in the game, and Brook Lopez can still impact games despite his age.

DECENT

8. Memphis Grizzlies, 9. Sacramento Kings, 10. Phoenix Suns, 11. Utah Jazz, 12. Portland Trail Blazers

This tier feels right for Phoenix. Williams’ health concerns are valid, and Maluach is still unproven, but the upside is certainly there. Stars like JJJ & Sabonis give the edge to the Grizz and Kings within this tier. Depending on how Aldama and Edey progress, Memphis could slide up into the tier above.

MEM: Jaren Jackson Jr., Santi Aldama, Zach Edey

SAC: Domantas Sabonis, Dario Saric, Drew Eubanks, Maxime Raynaud

PHX: Mark Williams, Khaman Maluach, Nick Richards, Oso Ighodaro

UTH: Walker Kessler, Kyle Filipowski, Jusuf Nurkic, Lauri Markkanen (stretch)

POR: Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, Duop Reath, Yang Hansen

Utah’s center rotation is sneaky good. Kessler is a rim deterrent, and Filipowski looks like a prime breakout candidate. Markkanen is more perimeter-oriented, so including him is a bit of a stretch but his size alongside that group makes them a handful to deal with.

Portland could easily move up a few spots depending on the development of Clingan and Yang specifically.

NOT GREAT!

13. Golden State Warriors 14. New Orleans Pelicans, 15. Los Angeles Lakers

This group isn’t the most talented, and they are all paper-thin depth-wise. Not a lot to write home about, though I do like some of the prospects that the Pelicans have. If Missi makes a leap and Queen has a strong rookie season, they would shoot up into the next tier. Dryamond carries the Warriors to the top of this tier, but Father Time is undefeated, and their depth is questionable.

GSW: Dryamond Green, Quinten Post, Trayce Jackson-Davis

NOLA: Yves Missi, Karlo Matkovic, Kevon Looney, Derik Queen

LAL: Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber

This same ranking for Phoenix a season ago would’ve had them in the “not great!” tier with ease. Progress is being made despite the West only getting stronger this summer at the position, so that’s a good sign.

A lot of their growth depends on three key factors.

How many games does Mark Williams play?

How quickly does Khaman Maluach develop?

If one of those two points above (or both) doesn’t go as planned, is Nick Richards ready to step up?

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...he-suns-big-man-rotation-stack-up-in-the-west

Phoenix Suns · Sep 1, 2025

Vegas has the Suns buried in the West

Well, we made it. August is in the rearview and we’ve officially crossed into the “-bers.” September 1. The air feels different when a month ends with “-ber”, doesn’t it? Basketball season creeps closer, life tilts toward the good stuff. August? Toss it. It’s dead weight. We’ve entered the final third of the calendar, baby, and the fun is about to begin.

This is the stretch where things start to matter. One month until training camp. One month until media day. One month until the first whistles of preseason and the eventual curtain rise on the real thing. Now is when we dig in, when we start figuring out who and what this Phoenix Suns team really is.

Our writing crew is locked and loaded with daily player previews, taking apart the roster one piece at a time. SunsRank will make its return, with our team and the Bright Side community stacking the roster from top to bottom.

But before we dive into personalities and potential, let’s talk odds. The betting kind. Per FanDuel, Vegas has laid out its expectations for the Suns this season. The last few years? Low odds, sky-high win totals, the kind of projections that made you believe. This year? The tone is different.

Here’s what the house thinks the Phoenix Suns will do.

Over 31.5 Wins: -114

I go back and forth on this number, because in a strange way, it feels perfect.

This Suns team has the legs to swipe a few wins they probably shouldn’t, simply by leaning on their youth. I keep flashing back to last year, to games we dropped not because of talent, but because we didn’t have the energy to close.

Maybe that flips this year. Maybe Phoenix turns the tables, steals a couple from older, slower teams limping through the dog days. But will those stolen wins be enough to clear 31.5?

It’s early. It’s September 1. I’ve got a whole month to talk myself into something crazier. But right now? I’m leaning over. I see 32, maybe 33 wins in the cards. Call it cautious optimism. Call it muscle memory. Call it me taking the over…again.

Pacific Division Winner: +8000

That’s right. The Phoenix Suns are projected to finish dead last in the Pacific Division. And it’s not even close.

The Los Angeles Clippers sit as favorites at +125, with the Lakers breathing down their necks at +155. Golden State lands in the middle. And Sacramento? The Kings are sitting at +4000 to win the division.

The Suns? Double those odds. Worse than the Kings. Let that sink in. Vegas isn’t just low on Phoenix, they’re practically daring you to believe otherwise. And that, more than anything, sets the baseline for what this season is supposed to be. Low expectations. Low belief. A perfect setup for chaos.

To win the [insert whatever corporate sponsor that will pay the most this year] NBA Cup: +12000

Not that I lose sleep over the in-season tournament, which is a glorified science experiment happening while teams are still figuring out who and what they are, but the Suns’ odds to win it are sky-high.

Maybe it’s the group they were dropped into alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder. Maybe it’s Vegas looking at this roster and shrugging, projecting Phoenix to be middling at best.

Either way, it feels less like confidence in the Suns and more like a quirk of scheduling and skepticism.

To Make the Playoffs: +640

Even the Portland Trail Blazers, sitting at +450, have better odds to make the playoffs than the Phoenix Suns this season. Let that one marinate.

I guess it could be worse. We’re not Utah. The Jazz are buried at +7000. So hey, small victories.

To Make the Play-In: +320

Ah, the Play-In. The thing the Suns couldn’t even sniff last season. It’s basketball’s purgatory, reserved for teams stuck in the middle. Not good enough for Vegas to buy stock in a full playoff berth, not bad enough to bottom out entirely.

And that’s exactly where the Suns find themselves. Vegas seems to think their final fate will be life on the fringe. A Play-In team.

And honestly? That feels about right. Not because the fan base has abandoned the vision for what this team can be, but because the Western Conference tide has risen. Everyone around them has leveled up. The water’s higher, the fight is harder, and Phoenix has to prove they can swim.

To Win the Western Conference: +35000

The NBA Finals? Can the Suns actually make the NBA Finals?! Somewhere deep in my cerebral cortex, I can hear Jim Mora screaming “Playoffs?!” and it feels like a fever dream. I’m hoping for the playoffs. But the Finals? The odds appropriately reflect the chances for Phoenix.

A run to the Finals would be one of the wildest storylines in years. Well, since the 2021 Suns shocked the world and did it themselves. And yet, here we are again, staring at the board where Phoenix sits near the bottom. Only Portland and Utah have longer odds to win the West.

Vegas is telling us loud and clear: don’t expect a banner in PHX Arena this season. No confetti. No parade. Just a long grind and the chance, however slim, to prove the house wrong.

To Win a Championship: +50000

There are a handful of teams with the same odds as the Suns, or worse, so I guess we’ve got that going for us, which is…nice? Most of those, though, live in the Eastern Conference. The full list? The Pelicans, Bulls, Blazers, Nets, Hornets, Jazz, and Wizards are the only squads sitting below Phoenix in the eyes of Vegas.

So, season 59 looks like another year where a championship isn’t exactly on the table. Shocking? Hardly. This is a retooling year, and everyone knows it. No hurt feelings here. This is where the work gets done before the real climb begins.

The odds haven’t been kind to the Phoenix Suns in recent years, but this feels different. This is the first time since sports betting went legal in Arizona that you can look at the board and see the Suns with virtually no shot. And honestly? I’m fine with that.

We don’t need lofty odds and inflated expectations. What this team needs is to win basketball games the right way. Let’s see them compete their asses off, bring the energy every night, play with the kind of effort that builds a winning culture, even if the wins don’t pile up.

This is a retooling year. A development year. A reset year. The real intrigue will come next summer, when we see how this season’s lessons, bumps, and bruises reshape the roster and the odds.

How much money am I putting on the Suns this season? Zero. Not a dime. I’ve been burned too many times to play that game again.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...tal-playoffs-pacific-division-betting-preview

Phoenix Suns · Sep 2, 2025

Inside the Suns: Defining a successful season, bold predictions, all-time favorite Suns teams

Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team.

Each week the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.

Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1 – How would you define a “successful season” for the Suns this year?

Ashton: I would define a successful season for the Suns, as most commentators have, tight and competitive games that show increased defense as a work in progress.

Bullet list:

The rookies show out, and that includes first and second year rookies. That demonstrates coaching ability from the staff. Did the Sun’s draft and trade well? I want to see it. Do the rookies perform beyond expectations?

I want to see fan engagement from the paying fans that chose to take their loved ones to a home game for a basketball experience. Win or lose.

Suns win the over at Vegas odds. Currently around 32.5 games but let’s make that a little better with question 2.

OldAz: The goalposts constantly move on this question during each season. When CP3 signed on, the Suns were still in a long playoff drought So the season started with just an expectation to make the playoffs. That quickly changed and so can this years expectation. For me, I will start by setting my bar at having a better record than last season. I am taking for granted that they will play with more passion and energy, mainly because I can’t imaging what less passion or energy would even look like for a pro team.

Last season’s team vastly underperformed so matching that record with better energy and effort will probably look a lot like the Blazers season last year, but would not require making the playoffs or even the play in tourney. This also assumes a lot of early season struggles while they put everything together. If they instead start the season off well and tread water close to .500 through the first 20 games or so, then these expectations will rise considerably.

Rod: Seeing this new roster mesh, develop good team chemistry and even modestly out-perform expectations. There’s an old song (1981) by Triumph titled “Fight the Good Fight” and the chorus goes, “Fight the good fight every moment…every minute, every day…” and seeing that in every game would spell success for me. No quarter given, no quitting when the odds are bad, just fight, fight, fight for the full 48 minutes. If they can come anywhere close to doing that, I believe they will have established a very strong foundation for positive growth in seasons to come.

Q2 – What do you consider to be your boldest prediction(s) for the Suns this year?

Ashton: Suns make a play-in game as an eight seed. They will win 40 games.

Booker does not win the Shooting Title. Impossible as a shooting guard and a passing guard.

The pessimistic posters will think I am crazy, but the ones that took the Over on the Suns win total will get paid.

Okay, some of these are not quite bold predictions. But the posting crowd is easy to read.

OldAz: Booker and Green will actually look good as a backcourt pairing. This is probably more hope than prediction, but it is certainly bold considering all the years of evidence that says the Suns don’t play well without a true point guard. Before Rubio (and then CP3) their only successful team during the long rebuilding process was when Goran was manning the PG position and Bledsoe slid over to be the shooting guard. Ironically, it was adding a 3rd PG that ruined that team and led to the long run of the Suns trying to make it work without a PG. Thus, my very bold prediction is that this talented backcourt will work well together despite neither being a true PG

Rod: The Suns will finish this season with a winning record. Now that doesn’t mean that I think they’re going to be a great team, just better than expected. After all, a 42-40 record is a winning record, and I think that is at least possible. The West is very tough, but I think the Suns will be a tough team to play if Ott can turn them into an above-average defensive squad and they play with heart…something that seemed to be missing a lot last year.

Q3 – What’s your all-time favorite Suns team of the past?

Ashton: I am pretty sure the other contributors and posters will point out the Charles Barkley run in the early nineties. And some will point out the 7SOL Suns under Steve Nash and Co. with the guidance of Mike D’ D’Antoni. It is a bit different for me.

2020 Bubble Suns. What a crazy time that was! Everybody is sequestered, and the Suns were a laughingstock of the NBA. No crowd or audience except what you can see on TV, and the Suns were left for dead. So why tune in?

They went 8-0. The biggest heist in NBA sports history was that the Suns did not move on with a perfect record. The Lakers won the COVID bubble era, but history will not record that they never faced an undefeated team.

But that is when I started to see the greatness of what a Suns team could become after basically a decade of decline. It was in isolation and players having to work together, the Sun’s fanbase had hope.

OldAz: Three Suns teams have made the finals, but I think my favorite is the one that always came up just short. It is easy to blend the seasons together during the Nash years because each team had the Matrix and Stat but you had the early years with Joe Johnson and the later years with Boris Diaw. Regardless, they were always playing the sidekick to the evil San Antonio Spurs teams that always seemed to get the better of them.

Among those, my favorite was the 2004-2005 team, where the Suns lost in the WCF to the Spurs after losing Joe Johnson to the eye injury one round earlier. That team was too talented across the entire starting 5 (Nash, Johnson, Matrix, Amare &Quentin Richardson) with the Brazilian Blur and Jim Jackson coming off the bench. Even after the mistake of swapping out Johnson for Diaw, that team was fun to watch for a very long time and really was ahead of their time in how the game was played. I really enjoyed that brand of fast-paced basketball where everyone on the court was a legitimate threat.

Rod: That is still the 1975-76 Sunderella Suns for me. Many people talk about the 1976 Finals against the Celtics, but it was the Suns’ performance in the Western Conference Finals series against the reigning NBA champs, the Golden State Warriors, that cemented my love for those Suns. They went into those playoffs with a 42-40 record, starting TWO rookies (Alvan Adams and Ricky Sobers) and took down the Warriors in 7 games after getting down 3-2 to a GS team that had finished the regular season with a 59-23 record.

The game-5 triple overtime loss to the Celtics in the Finals was called “The Greatest Game Ever Played” at that time, but the Suns also had a double-OT win against the Warriors in game 4 of that series that was a great game in itself. And the memory of Suns rookie Ricky Sobers getting into a fight with 9-time All-Star Rick Barry in the game-7 win at home was a very nice cherry on top of that WCF championship run!

I still love that team, and their underdog run to the Finals is one of the best NBA stories ever. It still gives me some measure of hope that the Suns might again outperform expectations in any given season. My #2 favorite is the 2013-14 Suns, who proved that semi-irrational hope of mine could turn into reality.

As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!

Suns Trivia/History

On September 3, 1968, the Phoenix Suns opened their first-ever training camp, running mainly conditioning drills at Brophy Prep, with camp at the high school lasting for one week. Phoenix also lost another coin flip with the Milwaukee Bucks on this day for the right for first pick off waivers. Milwaukee picked “tails.”

On September 3, 1994, the Suns signed Danny Manning as an unrestricted free agent. A 2-time All-Star, Manning signed a 1-yr, $1 million contract with Phoenix (all their cap situation would allow afford at the time) after making $3.5-million the previous year and turning down a 5-year, $35 million dollar contract from Atlanta.

The year before, Manning had made the rare choice of accepting his qualifying offer rather than signing an extension with his previous team (the LA Clippers) and became an unrestricted free agent for the 1994-95 season. When questioned about Manning’s decision to sign with the Suns for much less money, his agent replied, “It is not about money. It never has been and never will be with Danny. It is about winning.”

On September 6, 1977, the Suns acquired point guard Don Buse from the Indiana Pacers for Ricky Sobers. Buse would miss just one game in three seasons for Phoenix while averaging 8.0 points, 4.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. In 1979, he helped take the Suns deep into the playoffs before losing 4-3 in the Western Conference Finals to the Seattle Supersonics, who went on to win the NBA Finals 4-1 against the Washington Bullets. Buse is still 3rd on the Suns’ All-Time list for career steals per game with 1.93 per game.

On September 7, 2004, the Suns signed super-speedy Summer League standout and Japanese-born PG Yuta Tabuse. Yuta was in Dallas’ training camp before being cut and with Denver in the preseason in 2003 before signing with the ABA’s Long Beach Jam, where he averaged 5.3 pts and 6.3 asts in 2003. He scored seven points in his first NBA game against the Atlanta Hawks on November 3, 2004, becoming on that day the first Japanese player ever to play in an NBA regular season game.

Last wWeek’s Poll Results

Last week’s question was, “Which Suns rookie will have the biggest impact on team success this season??”

6.12% – Khaman Maluach.

56.12% – Rasheer Flemming.

35.71% – Koby Brea.

2.04% – CJ Huntley.

A total of 98 votes were cast.

Important Future Dates

Sept. 13 – Valley Suns Open Tryouts @ ASU Sun Devil Fitness Complex in Tempe (9 am-12:30 pm)
Sept. 23 – Media day
Sept. 24 – Training Camp opens
Oct. 3 – Preseason game vs LA Lakers @ Palm Desert, CA
Oct. 10 – Preseason game vs Brooklyn Nets (China)
Oct. 12 – Preseason game vs Brooklyn Nets (China)
Oct. 14 – Preseason game vs LA Lakers @ Phoenix, AZ
Oct. 20 – Rosters set for NBA Opening Day (5 p.m. ET)
Oct. 21 – Regular Season Begins
Jan. 5 – 10-day contracts may now be signed
Jan. 10 – All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season
Feb. 5 – Trade deadline (3:00 pm ET)
Feb. 13-15 – 2026 NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, CA

This week’s poll is…

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...-predictions-vegas-odds-history-training-camp

Phoenix Suns · Sep 2, 2025

The Suns might lose more than we want but they won’t bottom out

We’ve reached the point where we are forming predictions for the 2025–26 Phoenix Suns. Every move, from the draft to trades to free agency, has shaped what we believe this team can become.

And let’s be clear: this is a developmental season. The roster has been infused with youth, the front office reshaped, and the direction reset. It’s a team built around one All-Star, a second guard brimming with athletic upside, and the promise of a defensive identity that could change everything for the franchise.

But this won’t be instant gratification. This is a process. It will take time. Losses will stack up, and they will sting, but that’s part of the journey. No one should expect anything different.

What really grabs my attention right now is how many people believe this team is destined for a 20–62 season. Or worse. I see it in the Bright Side comments, I hear it during Suns JAM Session live feeds, and my DMs are full of people convinced this is rock-bottom basketball.

Maybe, months from now, you’ll get to pull this article back up and hit me with an “I told you so.” But I can’t get there. I don’t see a reality where the Phoenix Suns finish with 20 wins or fewer.

Why? Because being that bad takes work. It’s not as simple as being young, hiring a new head coach, and trying to find your identity. Winning fewer than 20 games has only happened twice in franchise history: the inaugural season in 1968–69 and, half a century later, the infamous 2018–19 campaign.

And that 2018–19 team? That was a special kind of disaster. They ranked 28th in offensive rating, 29th in defensive rating, and finished with a net rating of -9.2, second-worst in the league. They were painfully young, directionless, and full of lottery picks who hadn’t figured it out…or never would. They didn’t just lose games; they never looked like they knew how to win them.

For all the challenges this team is going to face next season, I just don’t see them bottoming out like that. Sure, the offense will likely take a step back. That’s what happens when you lose Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal and the shot-making gravity they bring. But defensively? They should be better than the 27th-ranked unit we saw a season ago.

Look at NBA history since 1960: only 100 teams have finished with 20 or fewer wins. That’s over 65 seasons and barely one and a half teams per year. You think the Suns are going to be one of them?

News flash: they’ll play two games against every team in the Eastern Conference. Even if they go .500 against a weaker East, that’s already 15 wins. It’s simply hard to be that bad unless you’re trying.

Last year, three teams failed to hit 20 wins: the Hornets, Wizards, and Jazz. None of those teams had an All-Star anywhere near Devin Booker’s level. And while the Suns might look like chaos waiting to happen if things go sideways, they’re still in the process of forging an identity. One rooted in defense, in making teams uncomfortable, in forcing them to work for every bucket. That matters. That wins you games.

Charlotte didn’t have an identity last year. Neither did Washington. Utah’s identity was openly tanking to get Cooper Flagg. The Suns won’t be tanking this season. They can’t. They don’t own their pick, so losing on purpose is worthless. To finish with 20 or fewer wins, you practically have to be trying to lose. And this team? They won’t be.

So yes, this team could end up worse than we expect, and honestly, expectations are already pretty low. But they’re not going to be so historically awful that they lose over 62 games. That’s not just bad basketball. That’s a monumental collapse.

When a team is building its identity on toughness, hustle, and effort on the defensive end, it’s really hard to lose that many games. I get why people are frustrated and don’t fully buy into the vision right now. But to say this team is only winning 20 games? That’s missing the context of just how rare and difficult that level of losing actually is.

Maybe it’s just a knee-jerk reaction. Maybe some people really believe it. Time will tell who’s right. But right now? I think that prediction is way off base. Because pulling off that much losing is a lot harder than people think.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...why-they-wont-win-only-20-games-or-bottom-out

Phoenix Suns · Sep 3, 2025

Alyssa Thomas and the Mercury have become the Valley’s must-see show

Something special is brewing in downtown Phoenix. The Mercury have locked in a playoff spot, and with Alyssa Thomas orchestrating the show, they’ve become one of the most electrifying teams to watch, not just in the Valley, but across the entire WNBA. Thomas, a walking triple-double, has already recorded seven this season, the most ever in a single year, while leading the league in assists.

At 26–14, the Mercury are tied with the Las Vegas Aces for the West’s second-best record and sit just three wins shy of surpassing their franchise-best 29 victories from 2014. The chase is on.

The energy is contagious. Fans are packing the arena, fueling the Mercury as they push toward a fourth championship, and even members of the Phoenix Suns are showing up to be part of the X-Factor.

When someone says who watches the WNBA?

Here’s your answer: @Suns pic.twitter.com/jadNjgvwvt

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) September 3, 2025

Click to expand...

Last night’s 85–79 win over the Indiana Fever wasn’t just another Mercury victory. It was a Who’s Who of Phoenix Suns in the building showing their support. Newly acquired Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green were courtside, joined by Devin Booker, who turned heads in a clean pair of Jordan 3’s.

On the floor, Alyssa Thomas once again delivered. She poured in 23 points — her seventh 20-plus performance of the season — while nearly notching another triple-double with 9 rebounds and 9 assists.

It’s a reminder that basketball season is right around the corner. With Suns players back in the Valley ramping up for training camp and preseason, why not take in a team that’s already executing the vision Mat Ishbia has preached?

The Mercury are fun, fearless, and closing in on the postseason. And we’ll be here at Bright Side to cover it all.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...yoffs-suns-fans-wnba-devin-booker-jalen-green

Phoenix Suns · Sep 4, 2025

Valley Suns announce Tip Off Tournament and regular season slate

No, there’s no polished graphic to share here. What there is, however, is the unmistakable sense that basketball is nearly back in full force across the Valley. And it’s not only the Phoenix Suns preparing for the grind ahead. Their G League affiliate, the Valley Suns, has unveiled its schedule for the upcoming season.

This will be just the second year of following the Valley Suns, which means fans are still getting used to the rhythm and quirks of the G League calendar. Unlike the NBA’s straightforward slate, the G League season is split into two distinct phases. It begins with a 14-game Tip-Off Tournament, where every team across the league competes for the chance to hoist the NBA G League Winter Showcase trophy. For the Valley Suns, that journey tips off November 8 against the South Bay Lakers and runs through late December.

Once that tournament concludes, the G League resets for the true grind: a 36-game regular season. This is the stretch where the wins and losses matter most, with playoff seeding on the line. It’s a unique setup, one that mirrors the developmental spirit of the league while offering fans two distinct storylines to follow.

Valley Suns 2025-26 schedule. #Suns pic.twitter.com/2IrhJa0kTW

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) September 2, 2025

Click to expand...

So as the Suns prepare for their own climb back to contention, their younger counterpart is gearing up for a season that’s every bit as compelling in its own way.

In a statement from the team:

The Valley Suns, the NBA G League affiliate of the Phoenix Suns, today announced its Tip-Off Tournament and regular season schedule for the 2025-26 season, which will begin on the road with back-to-back games against the South Bay Lakers on November 8 and 9. The Valley Suns will begin their 24-game home schedule against the Rip City Remix on November 14 at 7 p.m. at Mullett Arena

The Valley Suns longest homestand of the season will run between November 27 and December 13, hosting the Salt Lake City Stars and South Bay Lakers twice, and the Stockton Kings and Warriors once each. The schedule features eight back-to-backs throughout the season, including five at Mullett Arena.

Click to expand...

Last year offered a promising glimpse of what the Valley Suns could become.

They closed out the Tip-Off Tournament with a 10–6 mark before rolling to a 20–14 record in the regular season. Their postseason push included a first-round victory over the Santa Cruz Warriors, only to end at the hands of the eventual champion Stockton Kings.

As this new season approaches, there are still some unknowns. Final roster decisions have yet to be announced, and the intrigue grows around how much time any of the big club’s new rookies might spend with the affiliate. Developmental minutes in the G League can be a proving ground and a chance for young talent to sharpen skills, adjust to the professional pace, and make a case for bigger roles in Phoenix.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...ule-release-home-opener-mullett-arena-tip-off

Phoenix Suns · Sep 4, 2025

Player Preview: Jalen Green is the swing piece for the Suns

Jalen Green Breakout SZN?

Shooting Guard, 6’4”, 178 pounds, 23 years old, 4 years of NBA experience

The Phoenix Suns need Jalen Green to make a leap this season. With Kevin Durant traded and Bradley Beal off the team, Green enters Phoenix with a heavy burden on his shoulders and big shoes to fill. The Suns did not trade for a veteran scorer to paper over weaknesses. They added Jalen Green, a young bucket-getter with a high ceiling and a lot to prove. This is a clean break into a new chapter for Green and for Phoenix.

The question isn’t whether he can score. He can. It is whether he can turn that scoring into consistency, fit the team context, and form a sustained partnership alongside Devin Booker. He has star potential, but the question is if he’ll be able to put it all together.

He was the headliner of the Kevin Durant trade, but many question his long-term fit next to Booker in Phoenix. How will he answer the skeptics? Does he end up a rental that they flip, or is he a cornerstone for the future? We’ll find out a lot this season about the future and direction of the Phoenix Suns, depending on how the Green era goes.

2024-25 Recap

Last season was a mixed bag for the former second overall pick. There was progress, no doubt. But some of the concerns loomed large, especially come playoff time for the 23-year-old. Green finished the 2024–25 regular season at 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while playing all 82 games and averaging 32.9 minutes. I think it’s worth highlighting that he played in all 82 games in consecutive seasons.

He shot 42.3 percent from the floor, 35.4 percent from three, and 81.3 percent from the free-throw line.

His playoff run left a lot to be desired in a vacuum, but he also had a 38-point outburst in Game 2, showcasing his raw upside.

“In Houston, he was both a promise and a puzzle. He was the leading scorer on a two-seed, yet doing so on volume over efficiency.“

Green was the No. 2 overall pick in 2021 after coming through the G League Ignite program. Each year, he has shown gradual improvement, but there hasn’t really been that “aha” moment for him where he makes the big leap all at once. Yet.

Contract Details

Jalen Green signed a 3-year, $105 million contract with the Houston Rockets, with an average annual salary of $35,111,111. In 2025-26, Green will earn a base salary of $33,333,333, while carrying a cap hit of $33,584,499 and a dead cap value of $33,333,333.

(courtesy of Spotrac)

Strengths & Weaknesses

Jalen Green is an athletic freak with the ability to effortlessly lift off and finish around (or through) contact at the rim. He has an off-the-dribble game and can attack downhill when he’s at his best.

Green poured in 38 points, drilling eight three-pointers, and recorded six assists in Game 2 against the Golden State Warriors to help the Houston Rockets even the series. That game wound up being an outlier, though, after Green struggled mightily in the rest of the series. He failed to score more than 12 points in the other five games, and in four of the seven, he scored single digits.

In attack mode, he is unstoppable. He is comfortable hunting his shot in transition and in pick-and-roll bursts. In games where he and Devin Booker are downhill and aggressive, the Suns will be a handful for opposing defenses.

Durability is another skill that the Suns could sure use more of. Yes, it is a skill. Green has now played in all 82 games in consecutive seasons, as we noted above. That is a rare and impressive feat in today’s NBA.

The progress we need to see includes increased volume in rim attacking, improved shot selection, and becoming a more impactful defender.

Defense is a work in progress. He has the tools. Wingspan. Athleticism. Quickness. But he is not yet a plus defender who can erase his offensive lapses. In a loaded Western Conference, defensive limitations get magnified. While most of the talk is about the offensive fit, Green and Booker will need to learn how to play off one another defensively as well.

Inconsistent rim pressure

For all of Green’s athleticism, he ranked in the middle of the league on “drives per 36 minutes” last season, which suggests he is not yet an elite, relentless rim presser who forces constant contact and free throws the way some top wings do. His 11.5 drives per 36 ranked 68th among 375 players who played at least 500 minutes in 2024-25. That wasn’t far ahead of Beal, who ranked 75th at 11 drives per 36.

Shot selection swings. High-volume guys come with volatility. Green can be prone to taking ill-timed pull-ups and contested threes. This is something that his fellow former Rocket, Dillon Brooks, can struggle with as well. There have been times when those two shot Houston out of games.

The general weaknesses for Green are similar to the things we heard about Devin Booker when he was younger.

Empty calories. High-volume scorer. Doesn’t impact winning. Defensive liability. Poor shot selection. We’ve heard it all. Some of it is true, while some of it is subjective.

Comparing the first 4 seasons of Devin Booker versus the first 4 seasons of Jalen Green pic.twitter.com/VEo8Ecdmwc

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) August 24, 2025

Click to expand...

One Key Factor

The key factor to the Suns’ season will not solely be about how many points per game Jalen Green averages. It’s how he fits alongside Devin Booker, and if his weaknesses (listed above) improve. He’s a good bet for averaging 20+ ppg, but the question is, how will he get those 20 points? How does the defense look? Has the shot selection and playmaking improved?

I look at the playmaking specifically, due to the increased role he’ll take on in that department since Phoenix only has one true point guard on its roster.

Holden added this in his piece in Devin Booker’s preview, and it’s worth adding it in here as well.

Prediction Time

I think Green will have a strong season. Stronger than the skeptics believe, and he fits better next to Booker than you’d think on the surface. That being said, I’m still not sold on the defense and ability to build a title contender with those two are your primary options. That leaves the Suns with a decision to make, especially with that much money committed to the guard duo.

Let’s roll with him playing in all 82 games again, because why put anything else into the universe?

Stat Prediction: 82 games played, 23.3 PPG, 4.5 APG, 4.4 RPG, 0.9 SPG on 44/36/79 shooting splits.

Final Thoughts

If Phoenix leans into a two-guard system with staggered screens, early rim runs from Mark Williams, catch-and-shoot reps for Green, and clear isolation lanes for Booker late, this can work. If minutes are jammed into the same half-court moments with no structural spacing or play design, both will step on each other’s toes, and efficiency will crater.

The Suns’ coaching staff must choreograph, not tolerate, the pairing. If the Suns do more damage than expected this season, it’s very likely due to Jalen Green breaking out. Let’s hope that is the case.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...w-jalen-green-is-the-swing-piece-for-the-suns

Phoenix Suns · Sep 5, 2025

Phoenix Suns announce 2025–26 Theme Nights

The season is close. You can feel it in the air, like static on the edge of a storm. All the little bells and whistles of basketball’s return are starting to go off, and it’s as if we’re staring into some old Cold War radar screen, watching the first blips crawl into focus. They’re distant, faint, but they’re coming straight for us. And the closer they get, the harder it is to sit still.

One of those blips? The Phoenix Suns dropping their Theme Nights schedule.

Now, I’ve never been the type to plan my calendar around a promotional giveaway. I’m more of a creature of convenience, the kind who goes to a game because it fits, not because there’s a trinket dangling at the gate. But I’ll admit that if a bobblehead’s on the line, I’ll crawl out of my comfort zone and fight through the lines. Because I kind of like them. There’s something weirdly satisfying about walking away from a game with a miniature, big-headed version of a player frozen in plastic glory.

Theme nights are like a wink from the franchise. They’re not why you go — you’re already juiced to be there — but they sweeten the deal. It’s the sports equivalent of a fast-food joint not nickel-and-diming you for extra sauce, or a hotel slipping you a late checkout without asking. It’s the bonus round, and it feels good.

So what do the Suns have cooking this year? Let’s take a look. Because if the blips on the radar are this loud already, the season itself is about to hit like a thunderclap.

October

Oct. 22 vs. Kings – Coca-Cola/Fry’s Tip-Off (Free t-shirt for all fans)

November

Nov. 2 vs. Spurs – Dia de los Muertos presented by Hornitos

Nov. 10 vs. Pelicans – Hoops for Troops

Nov. 13 vs. Pacers – Valley Creators Night

Nov. 16 vs. Hawks – ORIGINATIV

January

Jan. 4 vs. Thunder – Mascot Madness

Jan. 9 vs. Knicks – Legacy Night

Jan. 11 vs. Wizards – Sneaker Night

Jan. 25 vs. Heat – First Responders Night

Jan. 27 vs. Nets – Pride Night

February

Feb. 10 vs. Mavericks – Black Excellence Night

Feb. 11 vs. Thunder – Lunar New Year

Feb. 21 vs. Magic – Kids Day

Feb. 22 vs. Trail Blazers – 2027 All-Star Countdown

March

Mar. 5 vs. Bulls – El Valle presented by Dos Equis

Mar. 6 vs. Pelicans – Sustainability Night presented by Footprint

Mar. 21 vs. Bucks – Women’s Empowerment Night presented by CarMax

Mar. 28 vs. Jazz – STEM Night presented by Honeywell

April

Apr. 7 vs. Rockets – Western Night

Apr. 8 vs. Mavericks – Fan Appreciation Night

So start circling dates, Suns fans. Mark them with a star, a doodle, a reminder that something worth your time is coming. The season is almost here, the blips are screaming louder, and the arena will be waiting. I’ll see you there.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/suns-news/88841/phoenix-suns-announce-theme-nights

Phoenix Suns · Sep 5, 2025

Player Preview: Dillon Brooks is the kind of villain Suns fans can love

Dillon Brooks

Small Forward, 6’6”, 225 pounds, 29 years old, 8 years of NBA experience

There’s a new enforcer in Phoenix. And it’s been a while since the Suns have had one. Jae Crowder once filled that role, and his absence was felt. We’ve experienced three seasons of a team that too often looked passive, listless, and “unbothered”. But every contender needs that guy. The one who stirs the pot, sparks the fire, and makes the opposition uncomfortable. The one who plays so hard, so fearless, that it forces everyone around him to elevate. A fuck-shit-up guy.

Enter Dillon Brooks.

Brooks arrives with a reputation carved in grit and irritation. In Memphis, he was the pest, the antagonist, the villain you cursed when he lined up against your team. Just ask LeBron James. Brooks needled him through a playoff series with a mix of trash talk and relentless energy.

LeBron x Dillon Brooks.

pic.twitter.com/CkKUBW7InU

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 23, 2023

Click to expand...

He’s an irritant, a disruptor, an annoyance. Which is exactly why Suns fans should be thrilled. Because once a player like that is on your side, you can’t help but back him, warts and all.

Of course, he comes to Phoenix as part of the Kevin Durant trade. No one can replace a Hall of Famer, and no one’s pretending otherwise. But Brooks, along with the other pieces acquired, represents something the Suns have sorely needed: a reset in identity. If the new identity of this team is one that frustrates opponents, agitates the elite, and dares to carry itself with an edge, then sign me up.

Because the last couple of seasons, the Suns didn’t just lack toughness. They lacked seriousness. They weren’t taken seriously by others, and worse, they didn’t always seem to take themselves seriously either. With Dillon Brooks in the mix, that changes.

It looks like Phoenix is ready to get serious again.

2024-25 Recap

Last season may not have been Dillon Brooks’ flashiest in terms of raw numbers, yet it was the season where his game found its sharpest edge. Year eight in the league, second stop in his career, and the most efficient version of himself we’ve seen. The numbers say steady contributor, but the presence said tone setter.

Brooks has lived in the orbit of winning teams before. Those Memphis Grizzlies squads in 2021–22 and 2022–23 that finished as the two seed, and the Houston Rockets climbed into the same echelon last season. He has never been the athletic marvel who dominates headlines, but he embodies the glue every roster requires. 14 points per night on 43%shooting, 40% from deep, 82% at the stripe, nearly four rebounds, nearly two assists. The shooting efficiency peaked at a career-high 53.3% effective field goal rate.

Most telling of all, he appeared in 75 games, proving that his most valuable skill is showing up. For a Suns team that has been haunted by inconsistency in availability, his dependability is gold.

From The Dream Shake’s Xian E:

Over the past two seasons Dillon Brooks has been worth what the Rockets paid him, and then some.

Some might have thought that Dillon’s defense slipped a bit this season, and perhaps it did, but it’s hard to see it from the company he kept with his individual defensive rating. Dillon ended up with a very good Defensive Player Rating. About the best in the NBA over the regular season, with enough games played to qualify for an NBA award (65), and enough minutes to qualify as a starter (30+), was around 104.

It’s probably impossible to calculate, but difficult to overstate Dillon’s effect on the effort level and toughness of the young Rockets, which saw a marked turnaround last season with the addition of Ime Udoka, Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. Dillon might be a hothead, and an irritant, but the horrible defending, uninspired, soft, young Rockets from before Dillon’s arrival needed his fiery presence.

Click to expand...

In Houston, surrounded by Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson, Brooks carved out significance by leaning into the unglamorous. Six three-point attempts per night at a career-best clip, relentless defensive energy, and the willingness to do the work others often skip. He was the irritant, the tone raiser, the connective piece.

Contract Details

Brooks enters the 2025-26 season on year three of a four-year, $90 million deal he signed with the Girzzlies in the summer of 2023. He is owed $21.2 million this year and his contract, which was front-loaded, decreases next season to $20 million ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Strengths & Weaknesses

His profile is easy to define yet difficult to replicate. He doesn’t demand shots, he takes pride in effort, and he thrives in defensive battles. These traits are increasingly rare in the league, and the Suns will welcome them with open arms. Watching him reminds you that ignoring the little things causes the big things to crumble.

Brooks will never be mistaken for a star, yet he is no liability either. He is not a great rebounder or elite playmaker, and help defense isn’t his strong suit.

What he offers is balance. He’s a capable shooter, a willing screener, a mobile defender, and one of the league’s premier isolation stoppers on the perimeter. He is not the man you hand the ball to in the final five minutes, but he is the one you assign to defend the man who has it. That balance matters. It keeps you in games, it steadies rotations, it multiplies value in subtle ways.

Dillon Brooks arrives in Phoenix as a player who thrives in the margins, and the margins are where seasons are won.

One Key Factor

Fit. This isn’t unique to Dillon Brooks, it’s a thread that runs through the fabric of the entire roster. The question is how they fit together, how the moving parts find rhythm once the ball tips. A learning curve awaits, particularly in the backcourt, and that is where Brooks can tilt the balance. He brings steadiness, presence, and a personality wired to anchor chaos.

That balance is his value, and that is where success takes root, as Brandon Duenas framed in the ‘What does success look like?’ series.

If Dillon Brooks can strike a balance on both ends, he could end up being more than just a role player. He could be the heartbeat of a younger Suns roster that desperately needs an identity.

Click to expand...

The Suns have been searching for identity, for a heartbeat to define them, and Brooks has the makeup to embody exactly that.

Prediction Time

Ah yes, predictions. Trying to forecast Dillon Brooks feels slippery, because so much of his game lives outside the box score.

His value isn’t tethered to averages or percentages, it’s rooted in energy, effort, and attitude. Those are the things you feel more than you measure, and they are the things that tilt games. Still, if we’re going to attach numbers to his impact, I’ll play along.

Stat Prediction: 72 games played, 14.3 PPG, 3.6 APG, 3.1 RPG, 1.0 SPG on 42/38/80 shooting splits

Final Thoughts

When I scan this roster, Dillon Brooks might be the player I’m most eager to see in a Suns uniform. I’ll admit, I wasn’t exactly in his fan club before he arrived in the Valley. But that changes now. He’s ours, and he embodies the grit and identity we’ve been craving in Suns basketball. Sign me up for every bit of it.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...-brooks-enforcer-grit-identity-player-preview

Phoenix Suns · Sep 6, 2025

The Mercury’s 6-game streak now comes with home court attached

The Phoenix Mercury hit the road Thursday night, squaring off against the Washington Mystics, and came away with a win that mattered. Behind Alyssa Thomas’ near triple-double — 12 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists — Phoenix ground out a 75–69 victory. Kahleah Copper added 18 points on a gritty 7-of-21 from the floor, along with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, stuffing the stat sheet in true Copper fashion.

The victory pushes Phoenix to 27–14 on the season. But more importantly, it locks in home-court advantage for the opening round of the playoffs, clinching a top-four record with three games still to play. The first round is a best-of-three series, and if it comes down to a Game 3, the decisive matchup will take place on Mercury’s home floor inside Footprint Center. Circle September 14. That’s when the chase begins.

We’ve officially clinched home court advantage for Round 1 of the WNBA Playoffs — Tickets on sale NOW for Game 1, September 14 at PHX Arena.

The first round runs through Phoenix! pic.twitter.com/XA8GlrQPa8

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) September 5, 2025

Click to expand...

This win marks six straight for the Mercury, nine of their last ten, and they haven’t dropped a game since August 21 against the Las Vegas Aces. Las Vegas are winners of 12 straight themselves. Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Atlanta remain locked in a battle for the second overall seed, with every game down the stretch carrying weight.

The WNBA throws conference standings out the window come playoff time. It’s the top eight records, period. Three spots are still up for grabs, so the Mercury’s opponent remains a mystery. What isn’t in doubt? Phoenix has earned the right to defend their season on their terms, in their building, with momentum firmly on their side.

The team continues this quick two-game road trip on Saturday as they battle the Connecticut Sun, a team that is just 10-31 on the season.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...court-win-vs-washington-mystics-wnba-playoffs

Phoenix Suns · Sep 6, 2025

Suns sign Alex Schumacher to Exhibit 10 deal ahead of training camp

Training camp is only weeks away, and the Suns’ roster is taking shape piece by piece. Camp invites are beginning to trickle in. One Exhibit 10 spot was already filled by Jared Butler. Now, it’s two. Alex Schumacher is back in the fold, rejoining the Suns on an Exhibit 10 deal, per Keith Smith.

The Phoenix Suns signed Alex Schumacher to an Exhibit 10 contract yesterday.

(Aside: Expect lots of news like this over the next couple of months ahead of the season starting!)

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) September 5, 2025

Click to expand...

Schumacher is no stranger to the Valley. He spent time with the Suns’ G League affiliate last season after being acquired in a trade with the Windy City Bulls in March. In eight games with the Valley, the 6’3” guard averaged 12.5 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.8 rebounds, starting three of those contests.

Because this is an Exhibit 10 deal, Schumacher counts toward Phoenix’s current roster total, which now sits at 19. The offseason limit is 21, a number that must be trimmed to 15 standard contracts by opening night, with three additional two-way spots available.

Most likely, Schumacher will head back to the Valley Suns once training camp concludes, eligible for a bonus of up to $85,300 on top of his G League salary if he spends at least 60 days with the team.

Undrafted out of Seattle University in 2024, Schumacher now gets another shot to showcase his game. And there’s opportunity waiting for him. With TyTy Washington no longer in Phoenix’s system — he signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Clippers this offseason — the Valley Suns will have minutes to fill. For Schumacher, this is a chance to seize that role.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...exhibit-10-deal-training-camp-roster-g-league

Phoenix Suns · Sep 7, 2025

The Suns made the most September roster move ever

The content gods giveth and the content gods taketh away. And this time, they barely let us unwrap the gift.

In a move that could only happen in the basketball purgatory that is early September, the Phoenix Suns have waived Alex Schumacher…less than 24 hours after officially signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal.

It’s not as wild as it sounds. The Suns already held Schumacher’s G League rights, since he wrapped last season with the Valley Suns. This Exhibit 10 was more of a handshake agreement than a roster-shaking transaction. It is a way to give him a chance at a bonus check stacked on top of his G League salary when he returns to the Valley this fall.

So why go through the charade? Because that’s how the NBA machine works. Sign him, waive him, bonus still secured, everybody happy. It’s transactional theater. The kind of procedural roster shuffling that makes September basketball feel like a Kafka short story.

No, the Suns didn’t slip him a secret duffel bag or sign him to a deal with Aspiration. They signed him, they waived him, and the paper trail keeps him in the program while putting a few extra dollars in his pocket.

Ah, the preseason hustle. It’s a reminder that even in the quietest moments of the NBA calendar, the gears never stop turning.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...er-exhibit-10-contract-signing-g-league-bonus

RSS Suns Team Notes

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Overall Record Prediction: 35-47​

Hall of Famer

The Case for Dillon Brooks​

The Case for Grayson Allen​

The Case for Ryan Dunn​

The Case for Nigel Hayes-Davis​

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

The Case for Booker Taking the Scoring Crown​

The Case Against Booker​

What would it take?​

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

TIERS: At a glance​

ELITE​

STRONG​

DECENT​

NOT GREAT!​

Hall of Famer

Over 31.5 Wins: -114​

Pacific Division Winner: +8000​

To win the [insert whatever corporate sponsor that will pay the most this year] NBA Cup: +12000​

To Make the Playoffs: +640​

To Make the Play-In: +320​

To Win the Western Conference: +35000​

To Win a Championship: +50000​

Hall of Famer

Fantable Questions of the Week​

Q1 – How would you define a “successful season” for the Suns this year?​

Q2 – What do you consider to be your boldest prediction(s) for the Suns this year?​

Q3 – What’s your all-time favorite Suns team of the past?​

Suns Trivia/History​

Last wWeek’s Poll Results​

Important Future Dates​

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Jalen Green Breakout SZN?​

2024-25 Recap​

Contract Details​

Strengths & Weaknesses​

One Key Factor​

Prediction Time​

Final Thoughts​

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Dillon Brooks​

2024-25 Recap​

Contract Details​

Strengths & Weaknesses​

One Key Factor​

Prediction Time​

Final Thoughts​

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Overall Record Prediction: 35-47

The Case for Dillon Brooks

The Case for Grayson Allen

The Case for Ryan Dunn

The Case for Nigel Hayes-Davis

The Case for Booker Taking the Scoring Crown

The Case Against Booker

What would it take?

TIERS: At a glance

ELITE

STRONG

DECENT

NOT GREAT!

Over 31.5 Wins: -114

Pacific Division Winner: +8000

To win the [insert whatever corporate sponsor that will pay the most this year] NBA Cup: +12000

To Make the Playoffs: +640

To Make the Play-In: +320

To Win the Western Conference: +35000

To Win a Championship: +50000

Fantable Questions of the Week

Q1 – How would you define a “successful season” for the Suns this year?

Q2 – What do you consider to be your boldest prediction(s) for the Suns this year?

Q3 – What’s your all-time favorite Suns team of the past?

Suns Trivia/History

Last wWeek’s Poll Results

Important Future Dates

Jalen Green Breakout SZN?

2024-25 Recap

Contract Details

Strengths & Weaknesses

One Key Factor

Prediction Time

Final Thoughts

Dillon Brooks

2024-25 Recap

Contract Details

Strengths & Weaknesses

One Key Factor

Prediction Time

Final Thoughts