Suns Fall in Bottom Third of NBA Offseason Rankings

The Phoenix Suns didn't have the opportunity to big make waves this offseason.

May 17, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Mike Budenholzer speaks during a press conference to announce his job as head coach of the Phoenix Suns. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns - deep in an offseason where they were hampered by the second apron of the NBA's luxury tax - didn't have an opportunity to make any big waves thanks to previous moves made to acquire Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

That's life for a team pushing their chips to the middle of the table, though the Suns were still able to add a few pieces to their rotation under first-year head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Phoenix snagged Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro during the 2024 NBA Draft while they inked Mason Plumlee, Tyus Jones and Monte Morris in free agency. That's all on top of re-signing Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, Bol Bol, Damion Lee and Josh Okogie.

Given what they were working with, many analysts have been willing to acknowledge the Suns took lemons and made lemonade, though The Athletic recently ranked Phoenix's offseason at No. 21 - with some still overall positive sentiments.

David Aldridge with his assessment:

"After a crazed 2023 offseason, the Suns were more low-key this summer. Granted, maybe out of necessity. Adding the two-time Coach of the Year in Budenholzer should get Phoenix better organized, but the Suns' main challenge is keeping Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal on the floor.

"They logged 862 minutes together last season, which was just the sixth-highest amount of minutes among Phoenix three-man units. Even a small increase from the trio in time spent together could take the Suns from very good offensively (10th last season in offensive rating, 116.8) to elite. And elite is where championship-level teams do their work.

"But the Suns get solid marks for bolstering themselves at the point, with two of the best ever at protecting the rock in Jones (a ridiculous 7.35 assist-turnover ratio for the Wizards last season, the highest mark since individual turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78) and Morris (career 5.1 assist-turnover ratio)."

It's tough to say the Suns had one of the better offseasons in the NBA, and as Aldridge highlights, Phoenix's success will come at the hands of their star trio staying healthy and on the court together.

The Athletic has yet to fully reveal their list, though this is how it's unfolded thus far (No. 30-21):

30. Memphis Grizzlies
29. Portland Trail Blazers
28. Denver Nuggets
27. Los Angeles Clippers
26. Toronto Raptors
25. Atlanta Hawks
24. Los Angeles Lakers
23. Charlotte Hornets
22. Miami Heat
21. Phoenix Suns

Aldridge specifies that these are not power rankings, just more so how "impactful" each team's offseason.

No season-altering changes were made to the roster, though it's tough not to envision the 2024-25 Suns looking better than they did last season with the new arrivals.