5 Phoenix Suns rivalries of the future

As the Phoenix Suns get better, they’ll develop rivalries with other Western Conference elites. These are the 5 top candidates.

Everyone loves a rivalry. It’s undeniably more fun when things are personal and it feels like more than just a game for the players. And when that leads to a playoff matchup, it only gets more exciting.

Deandre Ayton has already gotten a taste of NBA trash talk. Joel Embiid wasted no time in welcoming Ayton to the league, not even waiting until draft night ended to call out his defense. Ayton lacks nothing when it comes to confidence, and he’s likely to battle it out with other NBA bigs for many years.

Unfortunately, Embiid plays in the East, so the Sixers don’t seem like a probable rival for the Suns. But there are plenty of young teams in the West that will battle it out with Suns for years to come. Young players linked by previous drafts, positional matchups, and hopefully playoff series will cause a familiarity that brings about something resembling hatred.

Right now, the Western Conference is dominated by veteran teams like the Warriors and Rockets, but soon enough those teams will break up. When the time comes, the West’s current lottery teams will have a chance to compete in the playoffs. With a new wave of competitors, fresh rivalries will be born, and the Suns will be at the forefront.

So which teams are primed to become future foes with Phoenix? They have to be young, they have to be talented, and they have to be filled with personalities. These five teams are the best candidates.