Predicting the 2025-26 Suns Season

At long last, the 2025-26 Phoenix Suns regular season is here, as they tip off against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET at Mortgage Matchup Center. It will be the NBA’s first look at a refurbished team, without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

While the Suns face competition in the Western Conference, Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks and young pieces such as Jalen Green, Collin Gillespie and Khaman Maluach give their fans budding hope under first-time head coach Jordan Ott.

Here are some predictions on the 2025-26 campaign.

1. Devin Booker will be named an All-Star

It is a no brainer that Booker has been a team favorite over the past few years. It is also a no brainer that he will be its heartbeat this season.

Shifting from shooting guard to point guard, Booker now has more touches on the ball and can dictate the game’s pace. His distribution has looked solid throughout preseason, having at least five assists per appearance.

Booker has four career All-Star selections, including three straight from 2019-20 to 2021-22. He averaged at least 25.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists during those seasons. Those are attainable numbers, but his selection will come down to late game situations. If the Suns’ lone star can make crucial shots down the stretch, he will be playing alongside fellow NBA greats in February.

2. The Suns’ coaching carousel will stop (for now)

Since making the NBA Finals in 2021, the Suns have seen four coaches in charge.

Monty Williams, who led Phoenix to that Western Conference championship, was fired in 2023, Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer posted middling seasons thereafter, highlighted by postseason disappointment for Vogel, and a culture collapse for Budenholzer.

So, along comes Ott, who makes his Suns regular season debut on Wednesday night. The three-time assistant coach, who started in the league as the Atlanta Hawks’ video assistant, has been on winning teams. This includes being with the Los Angeles Lakers when LeBron James broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record, and with the Cleveland Cavaliers during their run to the Eastern Conference’s top seed last season.

Ott has already made an impact on players during training camp, going over in-depth tactics with them. Now it needs to translate to in-game scenarios. Even if it does not work, Ott seems to have a process that can help the Suns long term.

3. Mark Williams will start more, but Khaman Maluach will be more productive

With the absence of Durant, the Suns needed to find presence in the paint. They acquired that by getting Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets and receiving Maluach on Durant’s trade to the Houston Rockets.

Williams started 41 of 44 games in the Queen City last season, averaging 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists. It is a breakthrough stretch that will be hard to top, especially since he missed all of last preseason with a foot injury. Knowing his health inconsistencies, the Suns are expecting to not sign his rookie scale extension.

If Williams is unable to play, Maluach may step in. While lacking NBA experience compared to teammate Nick Richards, Maluach performed well in preseason, anchoring the paint on both sides of the ball. As the season progresses, expect Maluach to receive crucial minutes in place of Williams.

4. Phoenix will play postseason basketball

Call it optimistic, or call it delusional. The Suns will be a top-10 team in the Western Conference.

For the first time in a while, Phoenix does not have lofty expectations. Unlike the past two seasons, fans and media personnel alike are not expecting the team to compete for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

And that’s okay.

Brooks has brought a new sense of grit to the team, which has been followed by Gillespie and other teammates. Last year’s culture problems have dissipated and have been replaced by a selfless group.

Granted, the Purple and Orange may not be the higher seed in the first round, but they will be close to qualifying for the Play-In Tournament. They were three wins away from qualifying last year with a 36-46 record. Expect a similar record this season, but with more close wins.

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