Suns Slammed in Offseason Report Card

The Phoenix Suns are going into the 2025-26 season with a very different outlook compared to the previous year.

The team traded Kevin Durant, hired Jordan Ott to replace Mike Budenholzer and bought out Bradley Beal's hefty contract. These moves prompted Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley to give the Suns a "C" in his offseason report card.

"The Suns had a productive summer. They dismantled what clearly wasn't a championship core, ducked beneath the second apron and initiated a youth movement by acquiring three 2025 draft picks (originally had none), plus 23-year-old scoring guard Jalen Green and 23-year-old Mark Williams," Buckley wrote.

"So, why only a C grade? A couple of reasons.

"First, there's only so much credit Phoenix can get for cleaning up its own mess. The Suns willingly backed themselves into a corner, so while it's good they're starting to find their way out, they're more negating damage than doing actual positive work. Second, it's entirely unclear if the pieces can fit. Can Green and Devin Booker coexist in the same backcourt? Is it possible to maximize both Williams and No. 10 pick Khaman Maluach when both are bigs with limited range? We're skeptical on both counts."

There's a lot of uncertainty around Phoenix's new pieces and their outlook could go in either direction. The Suns could benefit from these new acquisitions, allowing them to compete for a playoff spot this season or they could flop, sending the team into complete disarray.

Green and Brooks were starters on a 50-win team last season and Williams has a lot of upside if he's healthy, so the Suns have reason to be hopeful. However, it's hard to imagine this team going from the lottery, trading Durant and getting better. On paper, that doesn't make a ton of sense, but crazier things have happened.