Suns Disrespected in Latest ESPN Power Rankings

It's no secret the Phoenix Suns are going to be a completely different team with completely different expectations next year.

The Suns had lofty aspirations as the NBA's highest-spending team last season, but ended up missing the playoffs for the first time in five years with a 36-46 record.

Now, a few months later, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are no longer on the roster and the Suns instead added younger and more defensive-minded players alongside Devin Booker.

Phoenix did its best to make do with what it had in building out a new team, but there are still a ton of question marks on how good the Suns will actually be next season.

Nearly a month into free agency, ESPN has the Suns way down at No. 25 in new power rankings released Wednesday.

ESPN's Anthony Slater wrote on the Suns:

"If the goal of the offseason were to save a ton of money, mission accomplished. The Bradley Beal waive-and-stretch ducked them out of the second apron and luxury tax entirely, trimming an estimated $210 million in tax penalties over the next two seasons, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst. But fans care about winning and Phoenix isn't set up too well to do that into the future. They traded Kevin Durant this summer, have $19.4 million of Beal's dead salary on their books for the next five seasons, and don't have control of their next six drafts. Devin Booker remains the centerpiece of this team, but the situation around him is bleak."

Jared Butler (via free agency), Dillon Brooks (via trade), Jordan Goodwin (via waivers), Jalen Green (via trade) and Mark Williams (via trade) were listed as notable additions.

Bradley Beal (via buyout), Kevin Durant (via trade), Tyus Jones (via free agency), Cody Martin (waived) and Mason Plumlee (via free agency) were named notable departures.

These were the teams from 20-30 on the rankings:

20. Pacers
21. Trail Blazers
22. Kings
23. Bulls
24. Raptors
25. Suns
26. Pelicans
27. Hornets
28. Nets
29. Wizards
30. Jazz

It's clear from this list and other viewpoints that the Suns will be under way less pressure to succeed next season and how well they do will really depend on how Green and Williams fit and develop on the team and how Ryan Dunn develops in his second NBA season.

Brooks and new coach Jordan Ott will lead the setting of a new identity and culture for the team on the court that will be built around defense, which Phoenix has severely underperformed in the past two seasons.

The Suns are really a mystery on how they will stack up in a loaded Western Conference next season after their offseason moves and will have to do some work to prove themselves, especially with no control of their future first-round picks until 2032.