Suns' Trade Asset Ranking Highlights Cost of Past Decisions

Phoenix Suns general manager Brian Gregory has done a fine job with what he has been given ever since taking the reigns last May.

The Suns entered the 2025 offseason needing to trade Kevin Durant and move on from Bradley Beal after roughly two years of attempting to go all-in on building a contender. 

The result? Phoenix was able to take stress off of their bottom line, as well as recoup some assets that were previously not existent. The burden of the lost assets? A future that is heavily dependent on internal development and signing the right players.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report echoed this sentiment, ranking the Suns dead last in tradable assets across the entire NBA, listing the 2032 first-round pick and Devin Booker as the only valuable trade chips for the time being. 

"The draft is clearly not how Phoenix plans to build in the foreseeable future. And while they could probably recoup some assets by moving (Devin) Booker, a recent extension that will pay him $69.2 million in 2029-30 (when he has a player option) could scare a lot of suitors off in this new era of cap aprons and all the team-building penalties that come with spending into them."

The draft wasn't how Phoenix typically built under former general manager James Jones, but that doesn't mean that Gregory is following that tune. The simple truth is that the Suns are confined by a lack of draft picks, but have remained able to secure promising prospects despite this - including 30th pick Koa Peat and 2025 second round selection Rasheer Fleming.

As a matter of fact, the stage is only being set for the aforementioned players to blossom as players over the next eight months - possibly even transforming into valuable, cost-controlled trade assets.

As for Booker, the Suns are clearly committed to building a consistent contender around him. While the league may not view him as untouchable, the Suns absolutely do. The 11-year vet remains the key to securing Phoenix's first-ever NBA title in the coming years.

The onus is on head coach Jordan Ott and staff to develop the young core to the best of their abilities for the time being, while also keeping the franchise competitive in the present. The quest to expand upon a 45-win campaign that ended in April will begin with training camp on September 29.