ESPN projects a down season for the Suns next year in early power rankings

In their first power rankings since the New York Knicks won the NBA Finals, ESPN is projecting the Suns to potentially take a step back in the 2026-27 season after a surprising year the season before.

Ranked 15th in their previous rankings, ESPN has the team 21st, with the Milwaukee Bucks being the only other team to experience a six-spot drop from where they sat the previous year, as Milwaukee deals with a future potentially without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The network ranks the Suns 10th in the conference.

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Finishing 45-37 on the year, the Suns disappointed in postseason play. After sitting in the seventh spot for most of the regular season, they lost in the 7/8 play-in game to the Portland Trail Blazers and fell to the eighth seed, where they were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With the new tanking protocols going into effect, many teams are making moves to level up for the 2026-27 campaign, including the Utah Jazz, while teams like the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks are looking to get key players back and benefit from another year of development for their young players. As a result, the Western Conference projects to be tougher next season than it was this year, which doesn’t bode well for a Phoenix team that ended the year 7-15 in its final 22 games, including postseason contests.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 22: Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round 1 Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 22, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

With key contributors Jordan Goodwin, Collin Gillespie, and Mark Williams set to become free agents (Williams is a restricted free agent, meaning the Suns can match any offer he receives from other teams), Phoenix has a lot of decisions to make this offseason…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/espn-projects-down-season-suns-000000491.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-17 00:00:00

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