The Phoenix Suns must continue pushing forward.
PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns march forward into the 2025-26 season with more questions than answers at this point in time.Phoenix gutted their star trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal after the collective three players didn't win a single playoff game during their short stint in the desert.
The Suns, desperately needing to scrap the experiment, traded Durant to the Houston Rockets this offseason while also waiving Beal - leaving just Booker and a new cast mixed of vets and youth to pave the way moving forward.Oct 14, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker against the Los Angeles Lakers during an NBA preseason game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Zach Buckley: "The Suns were all-in on the Devin Booker-Kevin Durant-Bradley Beal trio until they weren't. This offseason, in fact, is when they pivoted away from their flawed-from-the-start plan of hastily assembling a supposed contender. " ... While it will take some time for that identity to fully form—given the amount of unpaid draft debts, it could be a while—the current iteration feels like Devin Booker's one-man show. He should be a monster in fantasy basketball, but he needs a lot more help to make any waves in the West." Buckley is right, though the Suns previously have expressed they're counting on progression and play as a mode to measure success in 2025-26. Phoenix clearly knows they're not going to win the NBA Finals - though there's an easy answer to the "what now?" question being posed.Apr 11, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker dribbles against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn ImagesThat's much easier said than done, and perhaps a bit heartbreaking considering where the organization was at previously. We're not too far removed from that coveted 2021 run to the NBA Finals while the buzz around Durant's arrival to the desert was off the charts. Yet it was clearly time to reshuffle things, and though the band-aid definitely hurt while being ripped off, it should set the Suns up for long-term success. Phoenix is now out of the harsh second apron of the luxury tax, with Booker in his prime and exciting/youthful talent across the depth chart. What now? You find out what pieces you have to build with moving forward. You play the hard games and establish a new identity under first-year head coach Jordan Ott. 2025-26 is very clearly not going to be full of wins - though it could serve as a pillar moving forward. This isn't a lost year - it could in fact be one of the more important years to lay the foundation for years to come.Donnie Druin is the Publisher for Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Suns On SI. Donnie moved to Arizona in 2012 and has been with the company since 2018. In college he won "Best Sports Column" in the state of Arizona for his section and has previously provided coverage for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona State Sun Devils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin for more news, updates, analysis and more!
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