In their first power rankings since the New York Knicks won the NBA Finals, ESPN is projecting the Suns to potentially take a step back in the 2026-27 season after a surprising year the season before.
Ranked 15th in their previous rankings, ESPN has the team 21st, with the Milwaukee Bucks being the only other team to experience a six-spot drop from where they sat the previous year, as Milwaukee deals with a future potentially without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The network ranks the Suns 10th in the conference.
Finishing 45-37 on the year, the Suns disappointed in postseason play. After sitting in the seventh spot for most of the regular season, they lost in the 7/8 play-in game to the Portland Trail Blazers and fell to the eighth seed, where they were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With the new tanking protocols going into effect, many teams are making moves to level up for the 2026-27 campaign, including the Utah Jazz, while teams like the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks are looking to get key players back and benefit from another year of development for their young players. As a result, the Western Conference projects to be tougher next season than it was this year, which doesn’t bode well for a Phoenix team that ended the year 7-15 in its final 22 games, including postseason contests.
With key contributors Jordan Goodwin, Collin Gillespie, and Mark Williams set to become free agents (Williams is a restricted free agent, meaning the Suns can match any offer he receives from other teams), Phoenix has a lot of decisions to make this offseason regarding whether it wants to run back the same roster it had this past season or make some changes. Additionally, Dillon Brooks is eligible for an extension after having a career year in his first season with the Suns.
On the bright side, rookies Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming now have a year under their belts in the NBA, and Jalen Green projects to be healthier than he was this past season after missing more than half the year with a hamstring injury.
With the draft next week and free agency to follow, the Suns’ (and their opponents’) rosters could look very different from what they did a season ago, and any rankings for next season at this time should be taken lightly.
