The NBA trade deadline dust has settled. And, as many predicted, it wasn’t a super eventful one for the Phoenix Suns.
They did what was expected of them by ducking under a luxury tax threshold by trading Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey — it was later announced that Richards was rerouted to the Chicago Bulls as the deal expanded to a three-team trade.
The Suns got under that threshold to avoid a repeater tax and didn’t take on any long-term money. They could have done more, but was it necessary?
After pulling off big blockbusters to acquire Kevin Durant in February 2023 and then doubling down by trading for Bradley Beal months later, the Suns handicapped their salary cap situation and created a roster that was ultimately too top-heavy and unbalanced to compete for a title.
Fast-forward to the summer of 2025, and the Suns (with new GM Brian Gregory) aimed to correct those miscues by trading Durant for a package that included Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. They also waived Beal, who Phoenix is now paying to not play for them. Beal isn’t playing for the Los Angeles Clippers where he signed either due to a season-ending hip fracture.
Now, that’s not to say there weren’t rumblings the Suns could have gone down that same road yet again. Despite the Suns not having meaningful draft capital to speak of after another big move to add center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets in June of last year, those same Bucks reportedly checked in on Green’s availability as they mulled moving two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
NBA reporter Brian Siegel of ClutchPoints reported in early January that the Suns “made it clear Green is not available” for trade.
Suns show rare restraint at 2026 NBA trade deadline
While there was reported interest in Green from around the league despite an injury-ravaged season for the former No. 2 overall pick, Phoenix ultimately kept the new core of Devin Booker, Green, Brooks and others intact as they shatter preseason expectations and put themselves in the Western Conference playoff hunt.
The Suns could have packaged Green and other pieces to put an offer together for Giannis, Ja Morant or another big name, but they showed a willingness to play the season out with a team that’s in the playoff picture heading toward the All-Star break despite Green missing so much time with a recurring hamstring injury.
By not shedding the salaries of guys like Grayson Allen and/or Royce O’Neale, the Suns still face pressing questions for the coming offseason: How will they re-sign Williams and/or breakout point guard Collin Gillespie?
That will be the next big test for Gregory and Co., but the Suns brass deserves credit for embracing a roster that’s been both competitive and, arguably more importantly from a fan perspective, fun to watch.
No Western Conference team will want to face these Suns come playoff time.
They continued to show over the course of January how dangerous they can be by tying a league-best 11 wins in the month including Ws against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons — the top seeds in each conference.
Next steps include locking up a playoff spot and trying to make some noise in the postseason as an underdog.
After that, the Williams and Gillespie conundrums loom large, but it’s a change of pace to see the Suns commit to a roster building team chemistry and a culture of winning instead of chasing big names for the sake of it.
With trade speculation in the rearview mirror, the Suns can lock in and focus on building that chemistry even more when Book and Green are both healthy.