The Phoenix Suns are reaping the benefits of no expectations. Not only are they winning more than expected this season, but it’s coming with the club showing signs of a bright future.
While Devin Booker remains the nucleus of the squad — as the franchise superstar should — other players have emerged as key contributors. Instead of a “big three,” the Suns now have a balanced squad with surprising contributions.
Having three massive contracts didn’t lead to wins for the Suns. Instead, the team was led by Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal while continuing to regress year over year.
Now, with Booker playing like a superstar and emerging talent around him, the Suns are 12-9, which isn’t the league’s bottom-feeder some expected them to be. Sitting at No. 7 in the Western Conference, the team is projected to be playing some sort of postseason basketball later this season.
With this overperformance in mind, should Phoenix look to swing a trade for a co-star alongside Booker? And, no, not a Durant-like talent, but a legitimate second option beside Booker.
Suns could look at swinging a trade for a second star alongside Booker
Two hypotheticals that stick out are Anthony Davis — who is a Kentucky product like Booker — and Lauri Markkanen, as he is often roped into trade talks.
Davis plays for an incredibly underwhelming Dallas Mavericks team, which might aim to pivot to Cooper Flagg’s timeline, rather than wait for Kyrie Irving to heal and return to the hardwood.
Markannen is averaging 28.5 points per game, but playing for a young Utah Jazz team that isn’t a playoff team. At 28-years-old with constant trade chatter, could it finally be time for the Jazz to move the Finnish star?
Both players stand out as win-now talent that would slot nicely alongside Booker. But should the Suns even look at making a trade?
Nov 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) attempts to block a shot by Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Bad trades led Phoenix down a path where they gutted their future in favor of adding talent around Booker — even gutting a team that made the NBA Finals. Would they want to be cautious and avoid making trades for stars?
With Booker being 29-years-old, the team understands the franchise talent is in his prime years. There is a path to not breaking up the team and acquiring a star, but it makes sense for them to be more cautious.
To accelerate building a winning team around Booker, adding a talent like Davis or Markkanen — if they are able to do so for a lower price — could help the Suns elevate their ceiling even further.
The odds of postseason play are now stronger than they were before the season, but this team likely won’t win a playoff series if they don’t lose out in the Play-In Tournament. Acquiring another star could change that trajectory, though.
So, in short, the Suns should explore adding another star, but they should avoid doing so at the cost of leveraging the bright-ish future they have accomplished by moving on from Durant.