Suns Just Received Validation for Their Bold Offseason Move

The Phoenix Suns have been through quite the experience over the course of the 2026 offseason.

Brian Gregory's second summer as general manager of the franchise has provided a foundation to espouse on the continuity that has been built over the last 12 months - as evidenced by the re-signings of Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and Mark Williams - while also opening the door to expand on the success that the franchise found in a 45-win campaign.

The first move that pointed to an organization that is open to building off of prior victories was in the trade that brought Miles Bridges to Phoenix. The trade was wildly polarizing at the time, with off-court happenings and questions around on-court fit being at the forefront of critiques that were presented in light of Mat Ishbia and Gregory making the call. 

How has the perception changed over the last month of the offseason period?

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report is giving Phoenix a B+ for their efforts this summer, arguing that it's very likely that the roster around Devin Booker is upgraded despite trading away two of the more valuable players on the roster overall in Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen.

This is quite different from the general sentiment that was lifted into the mainstream just one month ago, as concerns ran amuck around Phoenix parting with high volume, efficient three-point shooting, as well as sacrificing on the defensive side of the ball - at least on paper.

It seems as if the conversation is now shifting - more trust is being shown in head coach Jordan Ott to decipher how to maximize the supremely athletic Bridges, as well as how to continue generating high-quality looks from behind the arc. The opportunity cost theory is very much in play here, but the upside of the 2026-27 season took an upswing with these moves. It gifted Ott more flexibility with his lineup combinations, allowed Gregory to offload two contracts that could depreciate rather quickly, and boosted the overall athleticism of a roster that desperately needed just that.

The change in perception in just four weeks is further proof that the way movement is viewed around the league can change in an instant - Phoenix now appears poised to improve upon the win total that it achieved last season, further setting the stage to make an even more substantial move next summer.