ESPN recently revealed its list of top 100 NBA players ahead of the 2026-27 season, and it was nice of Dillon Brooks to finally receive some love. Yet, with the Canadian international landing 76th and no other Suns players featured besides Devin Booker, it proved why the Suns will never win a championship with Booker.
Booker will never have help required to win it all
The franchise has cycled star players in and out next to Booker going back to when Chris Paul was on the roster. The constant chopping and changing has placed them further away from true contention than at the start of the decade.
You can't blame them for swinging for Kevin Durant, but the reality is that they are close to the second apron, have no realistic way to improve, and don't have another top-50 player in the entire league to pair with their star.
Not only was Miles Bridges a lateral move from a talent perspective, but he didn't even feature on the list and cost Phoenix the princely sum of a 2033 unprotected first round pick to acquire. To put that in perspective, an unprotected first was used by the Minnesota Timberwolves to land Bridges' former teammate, LaMelo Ball, who landed 35th on the list.
Jalen Green was another Sun who didn't make the cut just over a year removed from supposedly being the best player the Suns got from the Houston Rockets when trading Durant. The emergence of Brooks helped them save face on that one, as he has been the ideal co-star when trying to win in the regular season.
But for all his two-way capabilities, he is two levels below the difference-makers in this league. In truth, Booker (who sits 20th) may be a rung below the actual superstars himself, but that is an awkward conversation we have already had.
Only hope of Suns contending is with internal growth
All is not lost, however, and if the likes of Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming can begin making their way up future versions of this list, the outlook will brighten.
Maluach is only 20 years old and has the raw tools to be a dominant center, while the organization has hit on many of its draft picks in the last few years. All it takes is one of them to really pop for the conversation to change.
That is all Devin Booker can cling to right now if he ever wants to win a championship with the Suns, because ESPN has laid bare exactly why it won't happen with their top-100 list. There is nowhere near enough top-end talent in Phoenix.
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