Phoenix Suns
2025-26What are the Phoenix Suns in 2025-26, and what needs front-office attention?
PHX 2025-26: the clearest roster problems were Interior finishing, Rim pressure, Rebounding. The strongest covered areas were Defensive event creation, Passing connectivity, Shooting and spacing. The main rotation-player dependency cases were Oso Ighodaro, Royce O'Neale, Mark Williams, Devin Booker, Jordan Goodwin. Structural basketball need, injuries, replacement lineups, and financial constraints are reported separately.
What can be trusted
Supported strengths — production, who carries it, and what money is already committed.Full reading
PHX 2025-26 Defensive event creation: this was a team strength; production ranked at the 95.8 league percentile. Oso Ighodaro supplied 14.6% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. A major strength was at risk in 3 of the final 10 covered games. The team already committed substantial or redundant cap resources here.
Full reading
PHX 2025-26 Passing connectivity: this was a team strength; production ranked at the 75.0 league percentile. Devin Booker supplied 27.8% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Availability created or worsened the issue in isolated recent games. The team already committed substantial or redundant cap resources here.
Full reading
PHX 2025-26 Shooting and spacing: this was a team strength; production ranked at the 75.0 league percentile. Collin Gillespie supplied 29.1% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. A major strength was at risk in 3 of the final 10 covered games. Financial commitment is shown separately and does not determine basketball quality.
What needs attention
The clearest roster problems the evidence supports.Full reading
PHX 2025-26 Interior finishing: this was one of the team's clearest roster problems; production ranked at the 4.2 league percentile. Mark Williams supplied 29.7% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 8 of the final 10 covered games. The cap allocation to this critical need was comparatively low.
Full reading
PHX 2025-26 Rim pressure: this was one of the team's clearest roster problems; production ranked at the 4.2 league percentile. Devin Booker supplied 29.1% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 8 of the final 10 covered games. The team already committed substantial or redundant cap resources here.
Full reading
PHX 2025-26 Rebounding: this was a real roster weakness; production ranked at the 20.8 league percentile. Mark Williams supplied 32.5% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 7 of the final 10 covered games. The cap allocation to this structural need was comparatively low.
Every covered basketball function (11)
| Function | Reading | League percentile | Largest contributor | Recent availability | Salary commitment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creation | SupportedMiddle of the league | 67th percentile | Devin Booker · 31.8% | Isolated availability problem | Heavy or redundant salary already committed here |
| Defensive event creation | SupportedTeam strength | 96th percentile | Oso Ighodaro · 14.6% | Absences repeatedly put a strength at risk | Heavy or redundant salary already committed here |
| Interior finishing | SupportedCritical team problem | 4th percentile | Mark Williams · 29.7% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Comparatively little salary committed to a critical need |
| Passing connectivity | SupportedTeam strength | 75th percentile | Devin Booker · 27.8% | Isolated availability problem | Heavy or redundant salary already committed here |
| Point-of-attack defense proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Devin Booker | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Balanced or context-dependent salary commitment |
| Rebounding | SupportedStructural team problem | 21st percentile | Mark Williams · 32.5% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Underfunded structural need |
| Rim pressure | SupportedCritical team problem | 4th percentile | Devin Booker · 29.1% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Heavy or redundant salary already committed here |
| Rim protection | SupportedMiddle of the league | 33rd percentile | Oso Ighodaro · 31.9% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Balanced or context-dependent salary commitment |
| Screening | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Devin Booker | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Balanced or context-dependent salary commitment |
| Shooting and spacing | SupportedTeam strength | 75th percentile | Collin Gillespie · 29.1% | Absences repeatedly put a strength at risk | Balanced or context-dependent salary commitment |
| Switch coverage proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Devin Booker | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Balanced or context-dependent salary commitment |
Who the team depends on
What disappears when a player is removed — and whether an observed replacement five exists.
PHX was highly dependent on Oso Ighodaro. Removing him cost about 31.9% of rim protection production, and lineups with him performed 8.0 points per 100 possessions better than lineups without him. The best supported replacement group was [Devin Booker, Royce O'Neale, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams, Collin Gillespie] over 529 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Devin Booker · Royce O'Neale · Dillon Brooks · Mark Williams · Collin Gillespie
shrunk net 2.513 over 529 possessions
on floor 3,386 possessions · off floor 4,032 possessions
PHX did not have strong functional backup for Royce O'Neale in shooting; removing him cost about 27.5% of the team's production in that area. The next observed option was Collin Gillespie.
Replacement evidence
Devin Booker · Dillon Brooks · Jalen Green · Collin Gillespie · Oso Ighodaro
shrunk net -0.541 over 154 possessions — small sample
on floor 4,215 possessions · off floor 3,224 possessions
PHX did not have strong functional backup for Mark Williams in interior finish; removing him cost about 29.7% of the team's production in that area. The next observed option was Oso Ighodaro.
Replacement evidence
Devin Booker · Royce O'Neale · Jalen Green · Collin Gillespie · Oso Ighodaro
shrunk net 3.107 over 258 possessions — small sample
on floor 2,587 possessions · off floor 4,821 possessions
PHX lineups performed 4.7 points per 100 possessions better with Devin Booker than without him. The best supported alternative was [Royce O'Neale, Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen, Mark Williams, Collin Gillespie] over 230 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Royce O'Neale · Dillon Brooks · Grayson Allen · Mark Williams · Collin Gillespie
shrunk net -6.106 over 230 possessions — small sample
on floor 4,274 possessions · off floor 3,171 possessions
PHX lineups performed 3.4 points per 100 possessions better with Jordan Goodwin than without him. The best supported alternative was [Devin Booker, Royce O'Neale, Jalen Green, Collin Gillespie, Oso Ighodaro] over 258 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Devin Booker · Royce O'Neale · Jalen Green · Collin Gillespie · Oso Ighodaro
shrunk net 3.107 over 258 possessions — small sample
on floor 2,818 possessions · off floor 4,622 possessions
Function loss, lineup performance, and replacement-lineup evidence remain separate; none is causal player value.
What injuries change
Recent absences and the basketball needs they created or worsened.Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 8 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Mark Williams
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 8 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Devin Booker
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 8 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Mark Williams
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 7 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Mark Williams
Absences repeatedly put a strength at risk
created in 1 · strength at risk in 3 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Jordan Goodwin
Absences repeatedly put a strength at risk
created in 1 · strength at risk in 3 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Collin Gillespie
Where money is tied up
Cap position and salary allocation — shown beside the basketball picture, never blended into it.Most salary is mapped to creation; the highest-need area is interior finishing. Salary-to-function mapping covers 81% of charges.
Exact figures
Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence.
What the evidence cannot answer
Deliberate abstentions — where the database refuses a conclusion rather than guessing.- Point-of-attack defense proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
- Screening: Basketball conclusion withheld
- Switch coverage proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
Exact transaction legality: Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence
Team-season situation report. Structural basketball quality, recent availability, player dependence, replacement lineups, and financial position remain separate. No acquisition recommendation, transaction grade, coaching grade, outcome claim, or causal value is inferred.