Suns Bold Predictions for 2024-25

The Phoenix Suns have a chance to silence the doubters this season.

Apr 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) guards Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) during the second half of game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns are set to open preseason play just a month from now - in a lead up to the much-awaited regular season debut on October 23.

Naturally, the dawn of a new season brings along endless predictions, speculation, and everything in between.

This upcoming Suns season is no different.

Three bold predictions for the oncoming season, according to us:

---

1. Tyus Jones Will Be Top 5 in the NBA in Assists

Jones finished 9th in the NBA last season with 7.3 APG, so this take doesn't feel very bold at the surface.

With added context, the former Washington Wizards PG will be competing with Chris Paul, Domantas Sabonis, James Harden, LeBron James, and perhaps more star players to be top 5 in APG figures - that's simply a stacked field in contention to round out a list that will almost certainly be headlined by Nikola Jokic.

On the flip side, Jones averaged 7.3 dimes per contest on the aforementioned Wizards - in whom the top three scoring options were Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma, and Corey Kispert.

Giving Jones ample opportunities to push the pace of a potentially explosive offense chalk full of floor spacing and elite shot making could very well make his assist totals balloon to 9 or mer per contest - it isn't entirely unconceivable.

---

2. Suns Make a Deadline Trade

Phoenix re-signed Royce O'Neale, Josh Okogie, and Damion Lee to what seem to be player-friendly contracts at the surface, but the structure of the deals play into the belief that the front office is looking ahead at potential trades that can be made in February.

Don't count Grayson Allen - who is eligible to be traded in December - out of this either. Allen remains the biggest positive asset the franchise can realistically move via trade.

Jusuf Nurkic will remain in trade conversations, but if he truly does take a step forward as a floor-spacer this season it will be difficult to justify moving him. If he doesn't, his value won't jump, so it would be impractical to move him for any reason other than as a salary dump.

Regardless, don't be shocked if the roster coming into the season isn't the same one we'll see by the All-Star break.

---

3. Suns Will Earn a Top-4 Seed

This shouldn't feel like a hot take either. Yet, oddsmakers and media alike are largely sorting the Suns into the 5-8 seed range, citing an across-the-board improvement from teams in the Western Conference as a whole.

In defense of Phoenix - they managed to go 49-33 last season with arguably as much bad luck as anyone outside of the Milwaukee Bucks. They avoided the dreaded play-in tournament despite being a historically poor fourth-quarter offense and turning the ball over at far too many inopportune times.

The point guard additions, track record of Mike Budenholzer, and a seemingly rejuvenated star trio points to the Suns once again being a quality "clutch-time" team - and thus a team that will build off of last season.