Suns 2025-2026 Season Discussion

[Adrian]

Suns Called Out For Costly $100 Million Offseason Decision

The Phoenix Suns made arguably the worst move of the offseason, and were criticized for it.

www.newsweek.com

 

[Mainstreet]

It's great to hear most of the players have been working out in the gym here in Phoenix for the past couple of weeks.

 

[Covert Rain]

It's great to hear most of the players have been working out in the gym here in Phoenix for the past couple of weeks.

I don't think we are going to win a ton of games but at least a new atmosphere and seeing some young guys develop is something.

 

[Phrazbit]

When I bought the Suns originally, I thought we were on third base,” Ishbia said. “Now, I’ve set a vision. I’ve said, ‘Hey, I know what kind of guys I want, we ain’t trading for guys who aren’t like this.’

lol we were on third base - maybe second

He's not wrong...

Only now, after a couple years of his ownership, the bases are empty, the count is 0-2, it's the bottom of the 9th and we're down by 12.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

He's not wrong...

Only now, after a couple years of his ownership, the bases are empty, the count is 0-2, it's the bottom of the 9th and we're down by 12.

lol in a stadium with no name

 

[Phrazbit]

How I wish Mat Ishbia had waded in the shallow end of the pool when he bought the team.

However, comparing the Suns to the Mercury scares me. They are in different leagues. The NBA is much more complex.

Yep.

The WNBA has a third of the teams, a 100th of the financials and has perpetually lost money. I get why the NBA bankrolls it, but the idea that the WNBA should be a breeding ground for NBA staff is absurd. A fraction of the funding, a fraction of the compeition, and a rules system that is far more straight forward... IMO, it doesn't translate at all.

 

[Hoop Head]

He's not wrong...

Only now, after a couple years of his ownership, the bases are empty, the count is 0-2, it's the bottom of the 9th and we're down by 12.

We struck out and now we're stuck in batting practice for the next 5 years. Failing to get any of future picks back in the KD trade makes us stuck in development mode. Booker doesn't want out and Ishbia won't trade him without his blessing so we're stuck in limbo until we control our picks and the dead money paid to Beal comes off the books.

 

[Phrazbit]

lol in a stadium with no name

Oof...

"Tom Izzo Arena"

That sound good?

 

[Phrazbit]

We struck out and now we're stuck in batting practice for the next 5 years. Failing to get any of future picks back in the KD trade makes us stuck in development mode. Booker doesn't want out and Ishbia won't trade him without his blessing so we're stuck in limbo until we control our picks and the dead money paid to Beal comes off the books.

Houston having a huge amount of our draft capitol and us sending Durant to them (as his preferred destination) and not geting those picks back is embarrassing.

It has been widely reported that Houston made that trade with the Nets SPECIFICALLY so they could leverage them to get Durant or Booker... and all we came away with was the 10th pick in a weak draft...

If Maluach doesn't pan out we would have been better off waiving KD. The price of dealing with Houston should have been our picks back... and if we don't get em... screw it, send him somewhere else or sit on him and let him walk in a year.

"Doing good" by KD did nothing but screw us over and massively benefit Houston. They kept our picks, they still got KD and they're going to draft in the top 10 repeatedly by virture of our failings.

 

[Phrazbit]

Sorry yall, I'm fired up tonight.

The more I think about the fact the the Rockets specifically traded for our future picks so they could get KD or Booker from us and then we gave them KD without getting the picks back...

Catastrophic. I don't think there is another sequence of trades in NBA history even remotely as embarrassing.

 

[Hoop Head]

Houston having a huge amount of our draft capitol and us sending Durant to them (as his preferred destination) and not geting those picks back is embarrassing.

It has been widely reported that Houston made that trade with the Nets SPECIFICALLY so they could leverage them to get Durant or Booker... and all we came away with was the 10th pick in a weak draft...

If Maluach doesn't pan out we would have been better off waiving KD. The price of dealing with Houston should have been our picks back... and if we don't get em... screw it, send him somewhere else or sit on him and let him walk in a year.

"Doing good" by KD did nothing but screw us over and massively benefit Houston. They kept our picks, they still got KD and they're going to draft in the top 10 repeatedly by virture of our failings.

Yeah I like Maluach a lot but he's 2-3 years away. He was really the only piece we added that was true positive. Brooks may help but.ultimately we didn't need him. I don't dislike Jalen either but I don't see his fit here and don't like contract.

I think we rushed into a deal to get a pick in the draft and everyone knew that. It ended up hurting us in terms of return.

 

[Mainstreet]

Sorry yall, I'm fired up tonight.

The more I think about the fact the the Rockets specifically traded for our future picks so they could get KD or Booker from us and then we gave them KD without getting the picks back...

Catastrophic. I don't think there is another sequence of trades in NBA history even remotely as embarrassing.

At this point, I'm just glad it's over. I have to get out of the 2023 nightmare.

 

[Phrazbit]

At this point, I'm just glad it's over. I have to get out of the 2023 nightmare.

In a better mood, I am there too.

But I still know it's going to get worse before it gets better and I am very skeptical of the idea that trading KD away did anything to help it get better sooner.

 

[Mainstreet]

In a better mood, I am there too.

But I still know it's going to get worse before it gets better and I am very skeptical of the idea that trading KD away did anything to help it get better sooner.

About all we can do is hope ownership gets it right going forward and learns from their mistakes.

 

[Raindog]

About all we can do is hope ownership gets it right going forward and learns from their mistakes.

Yup, that's the only potential upside... and only time will tell. But as the other posters mentioned, we are really in limbo until we get back to being able to use our own drafts.

 

[Hoop Head]

In a better mood, I am there too.

But I still know it's going to get worse before it gets better and I am very skeptical of the idea that trading KD away did anything to help it get better sooner.

Watching youngsters learn is much more entertaining than seeing the KD Suns underachieve. That's all I'm banking on. 20 wins while investing in the future is much better than 37 wins with dinosaurs when we were supposed to be contenders. We had no picks either way but now we have a half-dozen guys with real potential. I'll take their potential to improve over the potential KD becomes a leader and plays in a structured and balanced system.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Suns Urged to Trade Another Star to Rockets

Bleacher Report says the Suns should do anything to recoup their lost draft picks.

www.si.com

Disagree that the extension is a negative. It enhances his trade value. That deal is a rockets fan dream. They have to pony up two more u protected firsts imo.

Reed
Our 27
Our 29
Two unprotected rockets firsts
We take van vleets contract
We take the big kiwi’s contract

 

[Phrazbit]

Disagree that the extension is a negative. It enhances his trade value. That deal is a rockets fan dream. They have to pony up two more u protected firsts imo.

Reed
Our 27
Our 29
Two unprotected rockets firsts
We take van vleets contract
We take the big kiwi’s contract

I'd do that.

Even if the Rockets put modest protections on those picks.

I hate trading away the most loyal AZ sports guy outside of Fitz, but... we're not going anywhere. He's got 4 or 5 years left of his prime, outside of trading him for a haul, I don't see how we compete in the next 6 or so years.

 

[Yuma]

lol in a stadium with no name

In the desert they will give you no name, Because your team just keeps giving you pain......

 

[Mainstreet]

I'd do that.

Even if the Rockets put modest protections on those picks.

I hate trading away the most loyal AZ sports guy outside of Fitz, but... we're not going anywhere. He's got 4 or 5 years left of his prime, outside of trading him for a haul, I don't see how we compete in the next 6 or so years.

The Suns front office and ownership hasn't proven anything.

Let's not complete the disaster by trading Booker as long as he wants to be here.

 

[Raindog]

I'd do that.

Even if the Rockets put modest protections on those picks.

I hate trading away the most loyal AZ sports guy outside of Fitz, but... we're not going anywhere. He's got 4 or 5 years left of his prime, outside of trading him for a haul, I don't see how we compete in the next 6 or so years.

I would wager the farm that, outside of the unlikely possibility that any or all of the youngsters we acquired blow up into star-type players very quickly, we will eventually have to do something just like this in the next couple of years.

The alternative will be five or so seasons of being absolutely terrible while other teams annually are getting fatter off of our high draft picks. Under those circumstances, it won't take very long for Ishbia and the Suns front office to become very, very unpopular in Phoenix.

 

[Mainstreet]

I would wager the farm that, outside of the unlikely possibility that any or all of the youngsters we acquired blow up into star-type players very quickly, we will eventually have to do something just like this in the next couple of years.

The alternative will be five or so seasons of being absolutely terrible while other teams annually are getting fatter off of our high draft picks. Under those circumstances, it won't take very long for Ishbia and the Suns front office to become very, very unpopular in Phoenix.

As I view it, Mat Ishbia trusted James Jones too much as the Suns GM due to past success in the Finals run and the season thereafter.

Now the pendulum has swung. In retrospect, hiring a new GM, instead of hiring new coaches and blowing up the roster at the 2023 trade deadline, would have been the better decision.

The Suns were fortuitous in their success. Hiring Monty Williams as the head coach and trading for Chris Paul was akin to catching lightning in a bottle.

It was a magic ride, but it gave insight as to what was the answer… a top-notch point guard. And they had that opportunity to add the PGOTF in the 2020 draft.

I can't embrace trading Devin Booker with a new owner, a rookie NBA GM and rookie NBA head coach.

Yeah, it may eventually come to that, but the franchise needs to learn how to ride the bicycle without training wheels first.

 

[95pro]

I forgot we acquired Goodwin too.

 

[Hoop Head]

I forgot we acquired Goodwin too.

Goodwin was a solid addition. He should push Gillepsie in practice and make it a competition for the backup role all season.

 

[Mainstreet]

Goodwin was a solid addition. He should push Gillepsie in practice and make it a competition for the backup role all season.

Also, Jared Butler should provide competition for point guard minutes.

His stats seem solid, although admittedly I haven't seen him play much.