Suns 2025-2026 Season Discussion

[Hoop Head]

I think that's a solid argument, but the question is whether or not two or three protected first-round picks would yield anything that good. I think contenders, or at least decent teams would want those two guys, and their draft picks are probably not that good. Salaries issue is a valid one. I think they just need to dump Richards, and they will reset the repeat offender counter. Outside of that, I don't think Ishbia gives a crap about payroll. I do agree that keeping Williams is a must. I haven't done my due diligence by looking into stats further, but the eye test tells me the Suns are a completely different team with Williams on the floor.

Before the blowout against the Pelicans the on/off splits with Williams were huge. He propelled the Suns right up to the top of the league in ORtg and DRtg but that is a small sample size as well. It'll be interesting to follow. His injury history also gives us an advantage for a team friendly long term deal with him being a restricted free agent as well this coming offseason.

I think the way to play it with the team is make everyone available to extent. We'll listen to offers but we're happy so won't bite unless we're given a deal too good to pass on. Set the price as 2 firsts for Grayson, 1 first and 1 second for Royce, and 2 seconds for Richards. If someone offers, don't let them off the phone and do the deal but we shouldnt be shopping anyone at this point. No need to rush as we're 1/8 through the season and the first complete month hasn't finished yet. December 15th is when deals start happening due to restrictions lifted off previous signings and we need a plan if our role players keep it up.

 

[95pro]

If i'm BG and Ish, things are going as planned. Book is happy and they will not rock the boat.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Grayson should fetch a 1st from someone. Maybe even a conditional or protected pair. Royce should get about half of what Grayson does. He is more of a defender but not the same type of scorer. We desperately need picks. I'd like to keep Williams until Khamen is ready also and he's due for a payday this summer so clearing those salaries will be important with all the dead money we have.

I doubt we would get that much for him. And why would we get the picks? So we could draft a player like Grayson. So, what's the point? Grayson is physically good and has a lot of a career ahead of him. He makes players around him better and is helpful in developing rookies.

He is a glue guy a team needs.

If we have to go full rebuild, then the guy to trade to get picks will be Book.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think that's a solid argument, but the question is whether or not two or three protected first-round picks would yield anything that good. I think contenders, or at least decent teams would want those two guys, and their draft picks are probably not that good. Salaries issue is a valid one. I think they just need to dump Richards, and they will reset the repeat offender counter. Outside of that, I don't think Ishbia gives a crap about payroll. I do agree that keeping Williams is a must. I haven't done my due diligence by looking into stats further, but the eye test tells me the Suns are a completely different team with Williams on the floor.

I agree with this except that I think Richard's can be traded.

 

[Ronin]

Detailing Grayson Allen’s impressive, Phoenix Suns RECORD-BREAKING Night

Grayson Allen set a new career-high in points (42) and three’s made (10) en route to also setting the NEW Phoenix Suns franchise record for three’s made in a game....

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Ronin]

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[Hoop Head]

I doubt we would get that much for him. And why would we get the picks? So we could draft a player like Grayson. So, what's the point? Grayson is physically good and has a lot of a career ahead of him. He makes players around him better and is helpful in developing rookies.

He is a glue guy a team needs.

If we have to go full rebuild, then the guy to trade to get picks will be Book.

We have nothing but very late 1sts if we have anything at all. We won't be able to add talent as players leave due to contracts and age. We are in a bad spot in terms of future assets right now. There is a way to remain a team on the fringes while Booker plays out his time here, with a chance at competing towards the end, or treading water and celebrating a year or two of play-in success. This squad is entertaining but not a contender. There's going to be a tricky balance over the next 4-5 years to maintain relevancy. Role players being sold high will make that easier.

 

[Phrazbit]

We have nothing but very late 1sts if we have anything at all. We won't be able to add talent as players leave due to contracts and age. We are in a bad spot in terms of future assets right now. There is a way to remain a team on the fringes while Booker plays out his time here, with a chance at competing towards the end, or treading water and celebrating a year or two of play-in success. This squad is entertaining but not a contender. There's going to be a tricky balance over the next 4-5 years to maintain relevancy. Role players being sold high will make that easier.

There is no realistic path to being a true contender for like the next 7+ years. None. As long as we're competitive there is little incentive to trade any of these contributors away unless it's something we can't refuse.

 

[Raindog]

There is no realistic path to being a true contender for like the next 7+ years. None. As long as we're competitive there is little incentive to trade any of these contributors away unless it's something we can't refuse.

I agree contention is out of the picture for at least a little while. There are potential wrinkles to that that could occur, but they are unlikely or highly speculative at best.

However, you can't realistically expect this present roster to stay intact for the next several years. There's going to be natural attrition with even the better players falling off, guys playing out contracts, etc. The Suns are still going to need to be cognizant of all of that to leverage potential opportunities for the future.

 

[Phrazbit]

I agree contention is out of the picture for at least a little while. There are potential wrinkles to that that could occur, but they are unlikely or highly speculative at best.

However, you can't realistically expect this present roster to stay intact for the next several years. There's going to be natural attrition with even the better players falling off, guys playing out contracts, etc. The Suns are still going to need to be cognizant of all of that to leverage potential opportunities for the future.

Absolutely, nothing is set in stone, but if we're hanging around in the playoff conversation we shouldn't be trading away key guys unless we think it will make us better now.

I have no interest in watching a 20 win team who doesn't control their pick.

 

[Raindog]

I have no interest in watching a 20 win team who doesn't control their pick.

Well, I certainly don't disagree with that.

 

[Yuma]

Well I have to admit this Suns team might be better than I thought.

So far I think the coaching has been very good - only problem I really have with it is them still giving Oso minutes when he should be nailed down to the bench.

Grayson, Royce, Gillespie, and Williams have all been better than expected. Book is starting to look like his old self in the last few games, and is actually shooting the 3 well so far. Dunn is showing improvement - really it feels like all we need is one more forward we can rely on - which could be Fleming eventually.

I actually now think this team may be able to sniff .500 this season. I am pleasantly surprised.

I think these guys were always how they are now. You put KD and Beal in front of them in the rotation, with different roles when they did play, and you see a different team. Removing those two guys changes the rotations, touches, and roles for all these guys.

 

[taz02]

There is no realistic path to being a true contender for like the next 7+ years. None. As long as we're competitive there is little incentive to trade any of these contributors away unless it's something we can't refuse.

The path to becoming a contender lies in the development of our players. If Green is ever healthy and one of our big Rookies, "Fleming" were to have a breakout season we would be right there.

 

[Hoop Head]

The path to becoming a contender lies in the development of our players. If Green is ever healthy and one of our big Rookies, "Fleming" were to have a breakout season we would be right there.

I think that's fools gold based on our winning record and recent winstreak. We've beaten 1 team with a winning record, the Spurs, while the rest have been games against the real bottom feeders of the West like the Clippers, Kings, Jazz, Pelicans, and Mavericks. We're somewhere in that 7-12 range of the West though and wouldn't survive a series against the Thunder, Spurs, Warriors, or Nuggets while there's some question marks still in the middle of the West like Houston, the Lakers, Blazers, and T-Wolves.

We're not contending for anything but a playoff spot and that's fine after the disappointment of the last few years but it won't be long before fans want to see more.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think that's fools gold based on our winning record and recent winstreak. We've beaten 1 team with a winning record, the Spurs, while the rest have been games against the real bottom feeders of the West like the Clippers, Kings, Jazz, Pelicans, and Mavericks. We're somewhere in that 7-12 range of the West though and wouldn't survive a series against the Thunder, Spurs, Warriors, or Nuggets while there's some question marks still in the middle of the West like Houston, the Lakers, Blazers, and T-Wolves.

We're not contending for anything but a playoff spot and that's fine after the disappointment of the last few years but it won't be long before fans want to see more.

We will see. The glimpse we got of Jalen Green has me hopeful. He was the #2 pick in the draft. He looks absolutely dynamic. We traded a 37 year old has been for him. We also got a young stud center in Williams. Those two guys have the potential to be star players. Both Williams and Green are huge positive surprises along with where Royce and Grayson are.

 

[JCSunsfan]

There is no realistic path to being a true contender for like the next 7+ years. None. As long as we're competitive there is little incentive to trade any of these contributors away unless it's something we can't refuse.

I don't think this is true. If we had picks we could only hope we would end up with players like Green and Williams. We have to see more, but the possibility remains that this crew could develop into something special.

 

[Ronin]

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[Hoop Head]

We will see. The glimpse we got of Jalen Green has me hopeful. He was the #2 pick in the draft. He looks absolutely dynamic. We traded a 37 year old has been for him. We also got a young stud center in Williams. Those two guys have the potential to be star players. Both Williams and Green are huge positive surprises along with where Royce and Grayson are.

I want it to be true but am not sold. I managed to gather my last bit of hope for Bradley Beal's acquisition and claim of being finally healthy after Vogel was replaced. I like this new team a lot but their ceiling isn't that high, which is ok so long as there is a plan to raise it sooner than later.

 

[Suns_fan69]

To put in perspective, the current combined records of the teams we've beat is 23-45 (counting LAC only once).

It's good to take care of business during the soft part of the schedule but I suspect Phoenix will be well below .500 after the brutal stretch we have coming up (Min, SAS, Hou, @Sac, @Okc, Den, @LAL, @HOU, @Min, GSW, @GSW, LAL).

(Combined records for teams that have beat us = 27-32)

 

[Dback Jon]

To put in perspective, the current combined records of the teams we've beat is 23-45 (counting LAC only once).

It's good to take care of business during the soft part of the schedule but I suspect Phoenix will be well below .500 after the brutal stretch we have coming up (Min, SAS, Hou, @Sac, @Okc, Den, @LAL, @HOU, @Min, GSW, @GSW, LAL).

(Combined records for teams that have beat us = 27-32)

Could be. But any team that wants to make the playoffs has to beat the teams they’re supposed to and then try to upset a few of the better teams.

 

[Covert Rain]

I keep hearing national radio media making comments about how the Suns can trade Grayson and Royce at the deadline if they keep playing that way. Can they? I mean, the way those two guys are playing is a critical part of the team's success right now. IMO, the Suns are a different team without their shooting. See last year what happened when 3-point shooting wasn't great.

Maybe....and I mean maybe one of them if Green comes back healthy and plays like he did that one game. It just seems like the national media is quick to send these two guys out of here by the deadline.

I might be in the minority, but I want no part of trading Grayson anywhere. I would rather part with Royce if I had to choose but both? No way.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Could be. But any team that wants to make the playoffs has to beat the teams they’re supposed to and then try to upset a few of the better teams.

Yup, and it'd be remiss to not add that they've operated so far without the 2nd best player on the team, so certainly the ceiling should be higher than what we've seen.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I want it to be true but am not sold. I managed to gather my last bit of hope for Bradley Beal's acquisition and claim of being finally healthy after Vogel was replaced. I like this new team a lot but their ceiling isn't that high, which is ok so long as there is a plan to raise it sooner than later.

I had no hope for the Bradley Beal or Durant situation for that matter. They were both older players past their prime. Durant can still get his numbers so it looks like he still has it, but he does it at the expense of teammates.

Green is 23, Mark Williams is 23.

 

[Superbone]

I keep hearing national radio media making comments about how the Suns can trade Grayson and Royce at the deadline if they keep playing that way. Can they? I mean, the way those two guys are playing is a critical part of the team's success right now. IMO, the Suns are a different team without their shooting. See last year what happened when 3-point shooting wasn't great.

Maybe....and I mean maybe one of them if Green comes back healthy and plays like he did that one game. It just seems like the national media is quick to send these two guys out of here by the deadline.

I might be in the minority, but I want no part of trading Grayson anywhere. I would rather part with Royce if I had to choose but both? No way.

Only if they could get a perfect piece like a PF that fits our timeline and player type. You have to give something good up to get something good.

 

[Covert Rain]

Only if they could get a perfect piece like a PF that fits our timeline and player type. You have to give something good up to get something good.

I guess the perfect scenario would be getting legit PF who can also shoot 3's at a high enough clip. However, that would still leave a 3-point shooting gap off the bench if you trade both.