The Phoenix Suns made some slight tweaks this offseason but returns Dillon Brooks and franchise stalwart Devin Booker.
Phoenix, coming off a 45-37 record and a first-round playoff exit to the Oklahoma City Thunder as the No. 8 seed, will look to make a leap out of the Western Conference's middle tier. Jalen Green's availability likely plays a role after hamstring issues limited him for most of the 2025-26 campaign, but the road into the Western Conference playoff picture remains a challenging one.
Phoenix's best chance at a chip might come from muscling itself into the middle seeds of the playoffs rather than the play-in-tournament-to-exit pipeline that often comes from taking on the West's No. 1 opponent. The Suns' on-court continuity and new, less splashy moves may be the boost they needed to ascend.
ESPN's staff of experts is looking back at the offseason and taking an early look at the 2026-27 season for all 30 teams, with 30 pieces -- one for every team -- rolling out each weekday through Sept. 18. We're answering the biggest looming questions, evaluating X factors and much more for all 30 teams.
Let's dive into the Suns, who made some important contract decisions this summer:
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Offseason at a glance
Key additions: F Miles Bridges, F Koa Peat, G Luke Kennard Key subtractions: G Grayson Allen, F Royce O'Neale Key retentions: F Dillon Brooks, G Collin Gillespie, C Mark Williams, G Jordan Goodwin
Phoenix followed up its surprising season with a series of moves to mostly keep its team intact, with some adjustments around the margins.
The Suns re-signed Gillespie (four years, $48 million), Williams (three years, $38 million), Goodwin (three years, $19 million) and Brooks (three years, $73 million) to new deals and made a major splash by trading Allen and O'Neale to the Charlotte Hornets for Bridges. And despite not having a pick until No. 47 in the second round of the 2026 draft, Phoenix was able to acquire Arizona player Peat -- who averaged 14.1 points on 52.8% shooting as a freshman for the Wildcats and was key to their Final Four run. -- Dave McMenamin
Zach Kram's offseason grade: B-
The Suns handed out a bunch of smart contracts this summer to Gillespie, Goodwin, Williams and Kennard. If they'd stopped there, they would've had one of the best offseasons for any team.