Guaranteed Suns starter could lose spot in team before season even begins

The Phoenix Suns are entering into the 2025-26 season with lower expectations, but also with the sense that the fans have embraced this group in a way they never did with the Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal led rosters. Dillon Brooks has taken to The Valley right away, although we still haven't had a chance to see what Jalen Green or Mark Williams look like on this team.

One player who the franchise have high hopes for is second year forward Ryan Dunn. Although he wasn't named as the infamous "Villain Jr." despite being a popular choice - that distinction instead went to Collin Gillespie - already he looks to have made another leap on a promising rookie campaign defensively.

Dunn's starting spot is under threat from several players.

Although the belief is that Dunn will start for this group when fully healthy - he is an excellent link between the guards and bigs - the preseason play of some of his teammates means they are coming for his spot. Even with Green and Williams absent, head coach Jordan Ott now has some legitimate competition for Dunn's spot with the starting five.

To the surprise of many, Grayson Allen is at the top of the queue. He started in Green's place during preseason play, and he looked back to the levels we saw during his first campaign with the Suns. Although playing him at the three makes many groups smaller than the average lineup, it is hard to argue with a guy who regularly shoots over 40 percent from deep and is underrated defensively.

That's not to say Allen is a stopper of any kind - he really is not - but five-man groups need to have balance and he would bring some much needed scoring. Dunn on the other hand could only dream of having a shot like Allen's, while his midrange game and ability to get to the basket still have a way to go.

Then there is fellow sophomore Oso Ighodaro - and although he is not a straight swap for Dunn - he too started at center for some preseason games. Ighodaro will likely slide down to the four when Williams returns from injury - or if rookie Khaman Maluach is given a chance to impress - which would mean Brooks playing at the three.

There really is no world in which Brooks comes off the bench, he already means too much to the identity of this roster. If that happens Dunn will again be the casualty. Then there are rookies Koby Brea and Rasheer Fleming - neither of which is near ready to start yet - but who could be given a look if they begin the campaign brightly.

So although Dunn clearly has a future in The Valley - can't be having him end up like this former player - his spot as a starter is under threat. A sizeable leap offensively would change all of that, while he is exactly the kind of defender coach Ott needs. When the Suns are fully healthy though, quite where Dunn fits in here will be one to watch.