Suns Expected to Make Major Leap

The Phoenix Suns were voted as one of the top teams to make a major leap in 2024-25.

Suns GM James Jones speaks with the press during a press conference at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on May 1, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns failed to impress in the 2023-24 season.

That's odd to say about a team who won 49 games (which would have been good for the No. 3 seed out West two years ago but saw Phoenix struggle to get the sixth spot) with three superstars on the court, though the Suns were swept out of the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves - and we've seen some fallout since.

Mike Budenholzer has been hired in place of Frank Vogel. The Suns selected a whopping two players in the 2024 NBA Draft and - in the name of continuity - kept their key core together while also supplementing role players via free agency.

ESPN's panel of experts voted the Suns as the fourth-most likely team to make a major leap in 2024-25.

Team Turnaround: Which teams will make a major leap?

1. Memphis Grizzlies: 63 points (42% of first-place votes)

2. San Antonio Spurs: 48 points

3. Golden State Warriors: 18 points

4. Phoenix Suns: 14 points

A first-place vote received five points, a second-place vote three points and a third-place vote one from the panel.

Much of the optimism surrounding the Suns is the presence of a point guard. Phoenix signed Tyus Jones and Monte Morris to steady the floor general spot after stars such as Bradley Beal and Devin Booker showed they were likely better utilized in different roles.

That should also cut down on Phoenix's turnover problem, as the Suns ranked near the top of the league in that category during the 2023-24 season.

At times, the Suns struggled to find their identity offensively under Vogel. A fresh presence on the sideline in Budenholzer mixed with more continuity in the lineup should see the Suns return to form when the 2024-25 campaign begins in roughly two month's time.

Can the Suns make a massive leap? There's hope Phoenix's spending in the second apron of the luxury tax will justify itself come next summer - though talent certainly isn't lacking in the Valley.

We'll see if other factors can shape the Suns into serious contenders.