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The Suns weren’t predicted to finish in the top nine of the Western Conference this season after being voted fifth last season behind Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Denver and Dallas.

The Thunder received 80% of the votes last year and wound up winning the 2024-25 NBA championship. They were voted to win the West again this season with a 38% vote and to repeat as NBA champions with an 80% vote.

Phoenix had a busy offseason after missing the playoffs with a 36-46 record.

The Suns traded Durant to Houston and bought out Beal, who later signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. They open the 2025-26 season Oct. 22 against the Sacramento Kings at Mortgage Matchup Center.

Jalen Green received votes to have a breakout season and was an underrated offseason acquisition. The Suns acquired Dillon Brooks, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 draft, who ended up being 7-footer Khaman Maluach, and Green from the Rockets in the Durant trade.

Green averaged a team-high 21 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the Rockets, who finished second in the West behind the Thunder in the regular season.

Golden State eliminated Houston in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in seven games.

Booker didn’t receive a mention for the NBA’s best shooting guard in this year’s GM survey.

He was voted the NBA’s second-best shooting guard last year behind Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards. Booker received 23% of the vote to Edwards’s 33%.

This year, Edwards won by a much wider margin with 70% of the vote, followed by Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell at 13%.

Just two years ago, Booker was voted the league’s best shooting guard with 63% of the vote.

Suns rookies Rasheer Fleming and Maluach received votes for being steals at where they were selected in the 2025 draft.

Fleming was taken 31st overall in the 2025 draft.