Phoenix must make the most of the possessions they win
Phoenix must hold on to its defence and extra possessions, replace lost shooting and organise its frontcourt without Mark Williams. The keys to its 2026–2027 season.
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Phoenix has rediscovered a way to win: defend harder, force turnovers and give itself more shot attempts than the opposition. After a 45-win season, the Suns now have to make that identity work with fewer proven shooters and, to begin with, without Mark Williams. Around Devin Booker, progress will depend as much on sharing the load as on points scored.
A base restored, a step still to take
The 45 wins and 37 losses of 2025–2026 took Phoenix back to the playoffs, via the play-in. The qualification did not survive the first round, however: Oklahoma City won all four games. That contrast frames the work of Jordan Ott, who begins his second season on the bench. The Suns have built a team that is harder to play against; they still need answers when the opponent can prepare and rehearse its adjustments.
The clearest progress came on defence: Phoenix went from 27th in defensive efficiency in 2024–2025 to 9th in 2025–2026. That ranking, calculated per possession, has to be distinguished from the 111.1 points conceded per game last season. The Suns scored 112.6. Pace and the number of possessions explain why the two sets of figures cannot be read the same way.
per game · 2025–26
per game · 2025–26
Bridges arrives, two high-volume shooters depart
Miles Bridges is the Suns' biggest addition of summer 2026, acquired from Charlotte in the trade that sent Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale the other way. He brings an extra scoring option and the ability to move the ball from the power forward spot. Luke Kennard must open up space with his shooting. Koa Peat, a rookie out of Arizona, joins a group in which his responsibilities are still to be built.
The change has a very concrete cost. Allen made 159 three-pointers and O'Neale 212 in the 2025–2026 regular season: 371 made threes leave the roster. That total does not mean a single replacement must reproduce the same shots. It does, however, oblige Phoenix to create enough threats from distance to stop defences tightening around Booker. Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green, for their part, arrived in the Kevin Durant trade in summer 2025: they begin their second season with the Suns.
- →Miles BridgesTrade with Charlotte · July 2026
- →Luke KennardSummer 2026 arrival
- →
- →Duop ReathFrontcourt reinforcement · September 2026
- ←Grayson Allen · Charlotte · 159 three-pointers made in 2025–26
- ←Royce O’Neale · Charlotte · 212 three-pointers made in 2025–26
Booker has to create openings that others build on
Devin Booker
With 26.1 points and 6 assists per game in 2025–2026, Booker remains the primary offensive option. The aim can be seen in a simple action: when he draws two defenders, the first teammate to receive the ball must be able to shoot, drive or immediately find the open man. Bridges and Green can help extend that advantage. It is one way this team could work, not the description of a system whose success is already assured.
Green must also rediscover consistency after a regular season limited to 32 games by hamstring problems. Brooks provides another kind of stability: pressure on perimeter players and defensive commitment remain central to his role, even if the distribution of shots changes. His 20.2 points per game last season are a historical benchmark; they are not a production requirement for the next.
Per-game averages in the 2025–26 regular season; no future output guaranteed.
Different scoring responsibilities
2025–26 regular season only. These individual averages do not predict shot distribution in 2026–27.
A rotation to build without Williams
Mark Williams, who injured his shoulder and underwent surgery, is unavailable for the start of the season, with no return date set. Our starting projection brings together Green, Booker, Brooks, Bridges and Oso Ighodaro. It is editorial and conditional, and does not amount to an official line-up for the first game. Ighodaro, who played in all 82 regular-season games in 2025–2026, can provide a foundation at centre. Khaman Maluach should then allow minutes to be shared and give the team a different type of big man.
Collin Gillespie is an important link to run the offence and play alongside Booker. Kennard can provide shooting, subject to his availability: left knee soreness kept him out of the final preseason game, against Utah on 16 October, US date. Jordan Goodwin and Ryan Dunn offer other options on the perimeter. Rasheer Fleming and Peat can feature in certain combinations; Duop Reath and Drew Timme add frontcourt depth. The challenge is to combine these profiles without sacrificing either spacing on offence or rim protection.
Bench options under consideration · subject to availability
Editorial projection, not an announced line-up. Kennard's left knee to be monitored. Ighodaro and Maluach expected to take on minutes without Williams.
The roster as updated on 20 October 2026
The group listed on 20 October 2026 comprises 17 players. The roles below are there to help read possible combinations; they are neither a rotation hierarchy nor an official line-up. Unavailable players remain included in the roster.
17 players
| Player | Status | Pts | Ast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point guards and guards | |||
| Jalen Green | – | – | |
| Luke Kennard | Availability to be monitored | – | – |
| Collin Gillespie | 12.7 | 4.6 | |
| Devin Booker | 26.1 | 6.0 | |
| Jamaree Bouyea | – | – | |
| Jordan Goodwin | – | – | |
| Pat Spencer | Two-way | – | – |
| Forwards and utility players | |||
| Ryan Dunn | – | – | |
| Dillon Brooks | 20.2 | – | |
| Koa Peat | – | – | |
| Rasheer Fleming | – | – | |
| Miles Bridges | Availability to be monitored | – | – |
| Centres and bigs | |||
| Khaman Maluach | – | – | |
| Oso Ighodaro | – | – | |
| Mark Williams | 11.7 | – | |
| Duop Reath | – | – | |
| Drew Timme | Late pre-season addition | – | – |
Roster as at 20 October 2026. Roles are not exclusive; being in the squad guarantees neither availability nor playing time. The medical updates in the story keep their original dates. Selected figures: 2025–26 regular-season per-game averages. "–" = figure not included here. Ighodaro is listed with the bigs for his expected role.
Compared with the preparation group originally presented, Kennedy Chandler, Koby Brea, Phillip Wheeler, Haywood Highsmith and CJ Huntley are no longer in this roster. Drew Timme completes this list.
Win possessions, then use them better
In 2025–2026, Phoenix had 3.1 more shot attempts per game than its opponents, against a deficit of 4.3 the previous season. That gap therefore improved by 7.4. These are shot attempts, not a points differential. Offensive rebounding and forced turnovers helped the Suns offset other limitations on offence.
This method is a strength, but it is not always enough against the best teams. Phoenix finished 21–30 in games against teams that ended the 2025–2026 regular season with a winning record. To move up a level, the Suns will have to maintain this activity while getting more good shots. The centre question adds a difficulty: chasing offensive rebounds must not leave the team exposed in transition, and multiplying help defence must not systematically hand a shooter an open look.
Assets
- A defence that rose from 27th to 9th in efficiency.
- Possessions won through offensive rebounds and forced turnovers.
- Booker surrounded by several creation options.
Issues to resolve
- Replacing the outside volume of Allen and O'Neale.
- Covering the minutes inside without Williams.
- Making this approach work against teams with a winning record.
The ambition: return to the playoffs with more answers
Gillespie embodies part of the room for improvement. His 232 three-pointers in 2025–2026 set a franchise single-season record. His 12.7 points and 4.6 assists per game also show he can contribute to organising the offence. With the departures of Allen and O'Neale, his usefulness lies both in his shooting and in his ability to play without stopping the ball.
The reasonable target is to return to the playoffs and be more competitive there. Moving closer to direct qualification would avoid the fragility of the play-in, but nothing suggests that step can be taken for granted in the West. Success will also be measured by the combinations that hold up without Booker and by how Ighodaro and Maluach cope with Williams's absence. Piling up wins will not be enough if the same difficulties reappear as soon as a series starts.
makes · franchise record
makes · left for Charlotte
makes · left for Charlotte
Return to the playoffs with more solutions when the game tightens up.
Defensive pressure must remain a foundation; perimeter shooting and the minutes without Williams will decide how solid the lineup combinations are.
First fixture: Portland, overnight on 21 to 22 October
The Suns open their regular season in Portland on 21 October at 22:00 US Eastern time, which is 3:00 am on Thursday 22 October in Brazzaville. They then host Golden State on 24 October, US date, before facing Oklahoma City on the 26th. This early run of fixtures will quickly show how Phoenix shares creation and protects its paint.
Find the Portland–Phoenix match page, the Suns' roster and upcoming fixtures and SNA's NBA schedule. The line-ups presented in this guide remain projections, to be checked against the availability reports announced before each game.
Thursday 22 October 2026 at 03:00, Brazzaville time · match centre
- The team’s live schedule appears here.
Countdown to tip-off.