Why Phoenix Suns Will Find Improvement in 2026–27 Season

Will the Phoenix Suns improve upon a 45-win benchmark that was set in 2025-26?

This is the question that continues to haunt the organization in lieu of general manager Brian Gregory making a bold trade that brought power forward Miles Bridges to Phoenix.

While there is hope that Phoenix will break through the top six of the Western Conference, a heavy dose of skepticism follows them as well.

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report is a skeptic, as he believes the Suns will not outdo the 45 win blueprint that they laid just months ago.

"The core of Devin Booker, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks had a very average net rating of plus-1.1 last season (58th percentile via Cleaning the Glass). Adding Bridges (minus-5.9 swing rating for the Charlotte Hornets) may not move the needle all that much.

If Khaman Maluach makes a second-year leap and Collin Gillespie has another strong season, the Suns will again hover around 45 wins. With so many teams previously at the bottom of the West looking to win now, Phoenix will fall just short of their previous mark."

The on-paper projection that the expected Suns' starting lineup (Booker, Green, Brooks, Bridges, Mark Williams) will be rather average is a valid assertion based off of already known data. However, tidbits of information such as Green only playing 32 games last season get lost in this fray. There is a world where Booker, Green, Brooks, and company figure out how to distribute shots, as well as shot locations in an effort to maximize efficiency. 

The injection of athleticism into Phoenix's lineup is also a nice change of pace, as the modern NBA landscape is rapidly shifting towards being predicated on strength/size/raw athletic ability. 

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of this Suns team is the bench unit. The unit cannot be properly judged until seeing the court together, but there are signs pointing towards the group meshing incredibly well together. Luke Kennard is one of the best shooters in the entire NBA. Gillespie is a jack-of-all-trades that has the ability to slide into whatever role is asked of him. Jordan Goodwin is coming off of a historic 100 offensive rebound, 100 steal season in a display of the true value he provides for Phoenix. Rasheer Fleming, Oso Ighodaro, and Maluach all provide different value to the Suns while being equally versatile on-paper. 

Ryan Dunn, Koa Peat, and Haywood Highsmith are a trio on the fringe of the rotation that simply serve as a testament to how deep/malleable the 2026-27 Suns should be. Expect the team to take a step forward with better injury luck and a statement made in the month of November.