7 teams who are still better than the Phoenix Suns
By Luke Duffy
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
There can be no doubt about this one, as the Thunder completely overtook the Suns in the Western Conference last season. Not only did they lock up the one seed before eventually falling to the Dallas Mavericks, they look primed to compete for years to come.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the 10 best players in the league, and the embarrassment of riches behind him is to a level the Suns could only dream of. Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort and the recently added pair of Hartenstein and Alex Caruso would all be the Suns' fourth best player if they landed in The Valley.
Say it quietly, but they'd also likely trade Bradley Beal straight up for a couple of names on that list, and not just because of his ugly contract. Even Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins are underrated players who would make the Suns better if they were part of their bench unit.
The balance of having a true superstar in "SGA" and young and elite defenders is exactly why the Thunder are better than the Suns both right now and moving forward. They're too good in too many areas, whereas Phoenix has to rely on the superhuman efforts of a Durant or Booker just to stay in a lot of games.