The Phoenix Suns are trying to achieve the difficult task of winning with Devin Booker while developing a new group of young players, and last season it led to a surprise playoff appearance.
Already that looks like a tall order for 2026-27, with a whole host of the worst teams across both conferences appearing to profit from the NBA Draft. The Utah Jazz being one of them after taking point guard Darryn Peterson second overall.
Jazz will make playoffs at expense of Suns next season
Peterson is joining a roster which includes Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler (for now), Keyonte George, Ace Bailey and former Defensive Player of the Year, Jaren Jackson Jr. Not only is that a fearsome top six, on The Bill Simmons Podcast in the aftermath of the first round of the draft both J. Kyle Mann and Joe House agreed that they now have more top end talent than the Suns.
Problem is, they're not wrong.
Darryn Peterson is 19.
— Sam Block (@theblockspot) June 24, 2026
Ace Bailey is 19.
Isaiah Collier is 21.
Cody Williams is 21.
Keyonte George is 22.
Brice Sensabaugh is 22.
Kyle Filipowski is 22.
Walker Kessler is 24.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is 26.
Lauri Markkanen is 29.
Utah Jazz are coming.
INSANE amount of young talent.
If the Suns do head into next season with the roster they currently have, their top six players are Booker, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Grayson Allen, Mark Williams and one of Collin Gillespie or Royce O'Neale. A fine veteran selection who have proven they can work well together, but the ceiling in Utah is so much higher.
Not only did the Jazz just overtake them in the race for a top eight spot out West, none of the other seven teams who made it to the postseason took a step back either.
If anything the middle class of the league, which the Suns are currently part of, have reason to be even more competitive in the wake of the rule changes to the NBA Lottery. Those easy wins against the likes of the New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings? Consider those gone.
It is not all doom and gloom in The Valley, but this is yet another reason why re-tooling around Booker is not the play here. The front office can't slowly put together a competitive roster at the same rate other franchises have bottomed out before bouncing back again.
The alternative to that is again trading for a star to skip the queue back to the top of the standings, but owner Mat Ishbia has already said that won't be happening either. A surprise leap into the end of the first round of the draft to select Koa Peat the closest thing we will see this summer.
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