PHOENIX, ARIZONA – APRIL 09: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the second … More
As the Phoenix Suns have shaped their roster for the 2025-2026 season, questions linger about what exactly they’re trying to achieve this year.
Overabundance of wings
As currently constructed, the five biggest earners on the team are either shooting guards or small forwards. Both positions often fall under the term wing, meaning that wings make up for over $134.8 million in salary, which is just under $20 million short of what the salary cap is ($154.6 million).
Those five players (Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen, and Royce O’Neale) are all 6’6 and under, meaning the Suns – again – will be short, and enormously reliant on perimeter production to win games.
(It’s also worth noting the above grouping is just of the most expensive players. The organization has even more wings further down on the roster.)
Green, who was acquired in the Kevin Durant trade, has projected as a wonky fit next to Booker since the day the trade went down. Rumors persisted for weeks that Phoenix would flip the 23-year-old for something else, but nothing materialized.
That doesn’t mean the Suns are necessarily committed to Green for the long haul. Green, who signed a three-year extension with Houston, negotiated a player option for the third season, meaning Phoenix might not have oodles of time to figure out that situation.
Green seems like he could be solid trade deadline fodder, especially if he plays well enough to justify the price tag of his $33.5 million salary this season. If a team out there is in need of offense, particularly from the off-guard spot, and find Green interesting due to his youth, and explosive scoring (20.1 points for his career), then Phoenix should certainly be listening.
Odd roster balance
Due to the aforementioned overabundance of wings, it goes without saying that the rest of the roster is off-balanced.
The team doesn’t have a high-quality point guard at their disposal, or at least anyone who’s significantly tested, which makes for an odd fit given that the Suns seemingly are still trying to compete.
They do carry three centers, Khaman Maluach, Nick Richards, and Mark Williams, all of whom are actually quite decent. At this stage, it appears as if the Suns are putting a substantial portion of their eggs in that basket of the three of them controlling the defense this season.
It should be noted that the Suns have two wildcards – Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro – who were rookies last year.
Dunn, another wing, could potentially outplay some of the team’s more expensive options, especially if his three-point shot has taken another step up.
As for Ighodaro, who is a 4/5 hybrid, he too could cement a place for himself in the rotation, thus offering the Suns quality at a lowered price point. The 23-year-old is highly intelligent out on the floor, moves the ball well, defends, and can incorporate himself into basically every rotation.
Of course, relying on second-year players to break out isn’t exactly a plan. It’d be a positive surprise more than anything, meaning the Suns can’t bank on that.
All-in-all, this roster seem primed for an in-season trade. Perhaps several. Because whatever this iteration of Suns basketball is, it doesn’t really make a ton of sense.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
