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The release of the NBA schedule is always an opportunity for optimism: a clean slate, a fresh 82-game canvas where each team imagines how things could break their way. For the Phoenix Suns, however, the 2025-26 season arrives as more than a fresh start; it feels like a referendum. Coming off a 36-46 record in 2024-25, the Suns finished 11th in the Western Conference, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Kevin Durant’s offseason trade to the Houston Rockets signaled the official end of the “big three” era that once paired him with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The Suns chose to move off a bloated salary sheet, acquire youth (notably Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and rookie center Khaman Maluach), and retool around Booker while retaining just enough veteran depth to remain competitive.
With the full schedule in hand, the key question is obvious: where do the Suns go from here? Let’s dive into a detailed season prediction: including projected record, playoff seed, award contenders, potential trade chips, injury concerns, and, of course, the must-watch games that will define this new-look Phoenix squad.
Setting the stage: The Suns' new identity
To forecast Phoenix’s season, we first need to establish what kind of team this version of the Suns is built to be. Last year’s squad was top-heavy, inconsistent, and hampered by injuries to Beal, Jusuf Nurkić, and a revolving cast of role players. Their offense sputtered to 10th in efficiency, while their defense was porous (28th overall).
This season, the franchise faces an entirely different landscape: Kevin Durant is gone. The Suns will miss his shot-making and defensive versatility, but they gain flexibility and youth in return. On the other hand, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks arrive. Green provides high-octane scoring and transition flair, while Brooks brings defensive toughness and edge, two elements the Suns sorely lacked last season.
5 years ago today 🔥
Devin Booker hit an iconic shot, followed by an iconic pose and continued Phoenix’s legendary run in the bubble 😤
(🎥: @Suns)pic.twitter.com/GWRzFec3en
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) August 4, 2025
Meanwhile, Devin Booker’s burden increases. Booker remains the face of the franchise, but at age 28, he now carries the responsibility of both leadership and production. Therefore, he must elevate the Suns’ ceiling in ways Durant once did.
The Suns may not be title contenders, but they have shifted from a luxury-tax-choked roster to one with assets, youth, and flexibility. That matters when projecting how this team performs.
Crucial games on the Suns schedule
The NBA schedule release highlighted four games that will shape the Suns’ season narrative.
Nov. 6 vs. Los Angeles Clippers
The first real test at home against a veteran contender. Bradley Beal’s exit from Phoenix still stings for some fans, and seeing him in a Clippers uniform adds an emotional wrinkle. This is less about rivalry and more about a measuring stick: can the Suns hang with a playoff-caliber roster early in the season?
Nov. 24 vs. Houston Rockets
Circle it in red ink. Kevin Durant’s first return to Phoenix in a Rockets uniform guarantees intensity. Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks will be motivated to prove their worth, while Durant will seek to silence critics who believe the Suns sold low. Expect playoff-level energy in Footprint Center, regardless of either team’s record.
Dec. 31 at Cleveland Cavaliers
A New Year’s Eve showdown against the Eastern Conference’s top regular-season team last year (64 wins). Cleveland’s size (Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen) will test Phoenix’s reconfigured frontcourt. By this point in the season, we’ll know whether the Suns’ identity leans more toward offensive firepower or defensive grit.
Apr. 12 at Oklahoma City Thunder
The season finale against the defending champions could have massive playoff implications. For OKC, it may mean resting stars if seeding is secure. For Phoenix, it might determine whether they sneak into the Play-In or spend another spring on the outside looking in.
Projected record and playoff prediction: 40-42
Improvement feels inevitable without Durant, simply because last year’s team underperformed expectations. With Green, Brooks, and Booker, they now have three perimeter creators capable of manufacturing buckets late in games.
Suns fans shouldn't sleep on Dillon Brooks' underrated post-up game! 💪 pic.twitter.com/fTjzmKUwSD
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) July 31, 2025
At the same time, the roster remains flawed. Interior defense is suspect outside of Maluach’s development, playmaking is shallow without a true floor general, and injuries are always lurking for a team that invests heavy minutes in Booker and Brooks.
A four-win bump to 40-42 feels realistic, placing the Suns firmly in the 8-10 seed range of the Western Conference. This doesn’t catapult them into contention, but it represents growth and perhaps a foundation to build upon.
The West remains brutally competitive. Denver, Oklahoma City, and Minnesota headline the top tier. The Lakers, Warriors, and Clippers, while aging, still carry firepower. Houston’s rise with Durant pushes them into the playoff mix. Even teams like New Orleans, Sacramento, and Dallas are fighting for spots.
In this landscape, Phoenix projects as a Play-In team at best. Slotting them at the 10th seed feels appropriate, though if health breaks their way, they could push into 8th. Conversely, another injury-riddled year could easily sink them to 12th.
Other predictions
Beyond wins and losses, here’s what else could define the Suns’ season:
Devin Booker returns to All-NBA form
With Durant and Bradley Beal gone, Booker’s usage will skyrocket. Expect him to average around 28 points, six assists, and four rebounds per game, numbers good enough for All-NBA Second Team consideration. While MVP buzz is unlikely given the team's record, he’ll remind the league he’s one of the premier shooting guards in basketball.
Jalen Green's breakout season
The change of scenery benefits Green, who often clashed with structure in Houston.
Jalen Green FC, we’re taking that SGA/ANT leap 🔜 🤫 😈 pic.twitter.com/XTArhuixpo
— Book’em (@dbookownsyou) August 16, 2025
In Phoenix, where the offense is more open, Green could thrive as a secondary scorer. Averages of 22+ points per game aren’t out of the question. By midseason, he’ll be labeled the “steal” of the Durant trade.
Dillon Brooks finds redemption
After a turbulent stint in Houston, Brooks has the chance to reshape his image in Phoenix. Expect him to emerge as the Suns’ defensive anchor, guarding the opposition’s top perimeter threat nightly. He’ll also be in the conversation for All-Defensive Second Team if he maintains discipline.
Khaman Maluach struggles early, improves late
As a rookie big, Maluach will face growing pains against NBA size.
However, by March and April, he could carve out a consistent rotation role, showing flashes of why Phoenix invested in him. Long-term, he projects as a franchise cornerstone, but this season will be about patience.
Midseason trades involving sign-and-trade returns
Unsigned free agents Bol Bol, Monté Morris, and Damion Lee loom as potential sign-and-trade candidates. Expect at least one of them to be re-signed and moved by February to balance the roster. The Suns could seek either a veteran backup point guard or another rim-protecting big to stabilize rotations.
Coaching stability… for now
Head coach Jordan Ott or the Suns’ chosen voice will likely survive the year, but whispers about long-term direction will grow louder if the team stagnates. Expect the front office to reassess after the season rather than mid-year.
The Phoenix Suns are no longer chasing championships in the short term. Instead, they are transitioning toward a sustainable model built around Devin Booker’s prime years, with Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Khaman Maluach as pillars of the next era.
Will they win big in 2025-26? Probably not. A 40-42 record, 10th seed, and Play-In exit feels like the most realistic outcome. But context matters: that’s a step forward from last year’s 36-46 collapse.
Fans shouldn’t measure success purely in playoff rounds this season. Instead, watch for signs of growth: Booker’s return to All-NBA status, Green’s potential emergence as a star, Maluach’s rookie progression, and the Suns’ ability to develop depth beyond their top scorers.
