It was only two years ago that hopes were high that the Phoenix Suns were on their way to winning their first ever NBA title. That was back when the Suns traded for Kevin Durant before the deadline, pairing him with star Devin Booker.
Phoenix has six playoff wins to show for itself after the past two years, but none of those came in 2024. The Suns were swept in the first round of last year's playoffs, which isn't likely to happen again in 2025, but not for the reason fans hoped.
They're two and a half games back (with 16 games left to play) from the No. 10 seed, which currently belongs to the Mavericks. This season has been one to forget in Dallas, so Phoenix could still creep into Play-In Tournament range, but that'd only be because of the Mavericks' downfall. The Suns beat the Mavs on Sunday, but Dallas had only seven players available in the loss. It wasn't exactly a feel good win.
Thanks to Nico Harrison, Phoenix fans should feel some slight optimism about it's Play-In chances, but that feeling might fade looking at the upcoming schedule. The Suns have the toughest remaining strength of schedule in the league, so it's not like punching their ticket to the Play-In is guaranteed.
The Suns will have to fight to earn a Play-In Tournament spot
Dallas could continue to drop games, but Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II are supposed to return this season. Their re-introduction to the lineup should give the Mavericks some life. Even if Dallas continues to lose, the Suns will have to string together wins against some of the top teams in the league, including the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Thunder.
There is a very real chance Phoenix's season could come to a close on April 13, the regular-season finale. The writing is on the wall that Kevin Durant will be traded in the offseason, and it didn't help that the front office made him available before the February 8 deadline. Everyone thought the final stop on his NBA journey would be Phoenix, but the Suns went from potentially being a top team in the West to a dumpster fire with the highest payroll in the league.
Because of how disappointing this season has been, it'll be relieving when it comes to a close, which says a lot. A once bright outlook has turned very bleak.