For the Phoenix Suns, the 2025-26 season arrives not as a reset button but as a referendum on the direction of the franchise. The end of the Kevin Durant-Bradley Beal-Devin Booker experiment is now official. Durant’s trade to the Houston Rockets brought back Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and prized rookie Khaman Maluach, while Beal chose the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency. The once star-laden Suns have been stripped down to a new form, one far more dependent on Booker’s brilliance and the patience to develop youth.

Last year’s 36-46 record, capped by an 11th-place finish in the Western Conference, sent a clear message that Phoenix could no longer afford to patch holes with high-priced veterans while ignoring balance. The front office wisely pivoted to add defense, athleticism, and developmental upside, but the Western Conference is not kind to teams in transition. While the Suns may want to remain competitive in the short term, their roster still shows gaps that will be exposed over an 82-game season. A forward-thinking trade or two could allow Phoenix to both nurture its younger players and give Booker the supporting cast he deserves.

The Suns’ depth chart features intriguing pieces: Jalen Green as a dynamic scorer, Maluach as a defensive anchor of the future, and Brooks as an agitator who provides toughness. Yet questions persist at point guard, the wing rotation, and the balance between offense and defense. If Phoenix intends to compete for a playoff spot this year while laying the foundation for the post-Durant era, certain trade targets stand out as practical solutions.

Tyus Jones: Stabilizing the point guard spot

One of the Suns’ clearest weaknesses lies in the absence of a true point guard. Devin Booker has blossomed as a lead initiator, but heavy ball-handling responsibilities diminish his scoring efficiency and wear him down across a long season. Jalen Green is an explosive scorer but not yet polished as a floor general. Jordan Goodwin and Collin Gillespie are serviceable depth options, but neither projects as a starter on a team with playoff aspirations. For this reason, Tyus Jones emerges as an ideal trade target for Phoenix.

Jones has spent the past several years proving himself as one of the most reliable backup point guards in the league, and more recently, as a starter capable of steadying an offense without dominating the ball. His assist-to-turnover ratio remains among the best in the NBA, and his ability to organize an offense would take immediate pressure off Booker. On a Suns team loaded with developing players: Green, Maluach, Ryan Dunn, and Oso Ighodaro, having a steady hand to set the table is critical.

Moreover, Jones is not a high-usage guard. His style of play meshes perfectly with a star scorer like Booker. While defenses key in on Booker, Jones can facilitate secondary actions, find shooters like Grayson Allen and Dillon Brooks, and create rim opportunities for bigs like Nick Richards and Mark Williams. His contract is manageable, and he may be available given that his current team is focused on long-term development rather than short-term contention.

Acquiring Jones would not only help Phoenix chase a playoff spot but also aid in the development of their young roster by ensuring their offensive flow is not overly reliant on Booker creating everything. For a team straddling the line between present and future, this balance could be invaluable.

Kyle Kuzma: A versatile forward to balance offense and defense

The departure of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal has stripped the Suns of top-tier scoring, leaving Booker as the lone elite offensive force. Jalen Green has shown flashes, but his inconsistency underscores the need for another proven scorer who can also guard multiple positions. Kyle Kuzma, currently mired in Milwaukee’s endless rebuild, is a player who could bring balance and experience to Phoenix’s forward rotation.

Kuzma’s offensive profile is exactly what the Suns need: a player capable of scoring off the dribble, spacing the floor, and shouldering secondary scoring responsibilities. He has averaged close to 14 points per game in recent years and has developed into a versatile threat who thrives both as a spot-up shooter and as a slasher. More importantly, Kuzma has championship experience from his time with the Lakers, bringing a sense of maturity and understanding of the game’s highest stakes.

Defensively, Kuzma is not elite, but his size and length allow him to guard multiple positions; a vital attribute for a Phoenix team that will likely rely on small-ball lineups with Booker and Green. Pairing Kuzma with Dillon Brooks on the wings could provide a balanced mix of scoring, playmaking, and defensive grit.

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Financially, Kuzma’s contract is significant, but Phoenix’s flexibility after shedding Durant and Beal’s mega-deals gives them room to maneuver. Kuzma would not make the Suns instant contenders, but he would stabilize their offense and give Booker a proven partner who can carry stretches of scoring. That alone could shift Phoenix from a fringe play-in team to a secure playoff squad in the unforgiving Western Conference.

Clint Capela: Rim protection and rebounding to anchor the defense

While Khaman Maluach and Mark Williams project as the centers of the future, neither is ready to anchor a playoff-caliber defense today. Maluach, though talented, is only 19 years old and still adjusting to the physicality of the NBA. Williams, though promising, has battled inconsistency. Nick Richards provides depth, but not the kind of presence that can alter games. In this context, Clint Capela becomes a logical short-term solution for Phoenix.

Capela’s value lies in his ability to dominate the glass and protect the rim; two areas where the Suns struggled mightily last season. Too often, they were exposed by bigger, stronger frontcourts in the West, and without Durant’s size to compensate, the issue is even more pronounced. Capela brings elite rebounding, particularly on the offensive end, which would generate second-chance opportunities for a Suns offense that may struggle with efficiency outside of Booker. Defensively, his shot-blocking and paint presence would allow Phoenix’s perimeter defenders like Brooks and O’Neale to take more risks knowing there is a safety net behind them.

Capela’s role would also serve as a bridge for the Suns’ young centers. Maluach could develop at a natural pace without the pressure of being the immediate starter, and Williams could refine his game in a complementary role. This approach mirrors what successful teams have done in the past: pairing young talent with veterans who can handle nightly demands until the future pieces are ready.

A franchise at a crossroads

The Phoenix Suns’ 2025-26 season will define whether their pivot away from superstar-heavy rosters was a wise recalibration or simply a descent into mediocrity. Devin Booker remains in his prime and deserves a team capable of at least contending for the playoffs. Jalen Green offers a glimpse of star potential, and Maluach is an exciting piece of the future, but without complementary veterans who fill specific needs, the Suns risk drifting in the middle, a dangerous place for any NBA franchise.

Tyus Jones, Kyle Kuzma, and Clint Capela each address critical gaps on this roster: point guard stability, secondary scoring, and rim protection. None would transform Phoenix into instant contenders, but together, they could reshape the Suns into a balanced, competitive team capable of withstanding the nightly gauntlet of the Western Conference. More importantly, they would allow Booker to flourish as the centerpiece of a new era without bearing an unsustainable burden.

The Suns chose a new path when they traded Durant and let Beal walk. Now, the question is whether they are bold enough to complete the transformation with trades that balance their roster and honor their stars’ prime. The clock is ticking in Phoenix, and the Western Conference waits for no one.