It’s no secret that the Phoenix Suns have defied expectations so far in 2025-26.
OK, it’s actually become one of the more intriguing NBA storylines this season as pundits and fans give the Suns their flowers for putting together a competitive record despite trading away Kevin Durant, paying Bradley Beal to not play for them, bringing in a new head coach and missing Jalen Green — the key piece in the KD trade — for most of the season thus far.
But is what the Suns have accomplished thus far sustainable as we look ahead to 2026?
Suns projected as an NBA playoff play-in team by ESPN
According to their Basketball Power Index, ESPN has the Suns finishing the season with a 43-39 record — good enough for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, which would make Phoenix a play-in team.
A 43-39 mark would be far from the best in franchise history, but finishing above .500 as a team in flux after such massive offseason maneuvering would be quite the accomplishment.
So, too, would be making the playoffs after the utter letdown of 2024-25 under head coach Mike Budenholzer, who was unable to guide a roster with Durant and Devin Booker to postseason play.
ESPN projects the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors as the Western Conference teams who’ll finish ahead of the Suns in the standings at season’s end.
They note the Rockets have the most favorable remaining schedule, which could give them a leg up as far as the standings go.
Outside of that, there’s not much to write home about for Phoenix. No Suns players crack their awards watch, and ESPN lists Booker as their (eventual) biggest All-Star snub. Writer Zach Kram pointed out Booker’s lackluster 3-point shooting numbers as the primary reason why he’ll get overlooked in the All-Star conversation this year.
In other words, the Suns remain under-the-radar in most respects. If Booker doesn’t get named to the All-Star team, no other Suns player will. If they ultimately make the playoffs without an All-Star on the roster, that will make this year’s improbable run all the more impressive.
Barring the 1998-99 season when the NBA All-Star Game didn’t take place due to lockout, the last Suns team to make the playoffs with no All-Star selections on the roster was the 1996-97 squad.
That team, led by Kevin Johnson and 23-year-old trade acquisition Jason Kidd, finished under .500 at 40-42 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. They started 0-8 under head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons before turning things around under Danny Ainge (40-34) as his replacement.
So, it’s been quite some time since the Suns made it to postseason play without anyone earning an All-Star nod in the same season.
It speaks to Phoenix’s newfound plucky underdog identity that they could once again earn a playoff spot despite not having a representative during All-Star festivities.
It’s been an odd year for the Suns, but a rebound to playoff basketball after last season’s letdown would certainly be a welcome sign for fans.