Suns Left Off NBA Title Contenders List

As we approach the final week of the regular season, the Phoenix Suns find themselves all but locked into the No. 4 seed.

The Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings have all clinched spots in the postseason. The Suns hope to do so soon, and with Kevin Durant's healthy presence on the team (they're 6-0 with him in the lineup), many believe the Suns are viable contenders to emerge out of the Western Conference.

However, not all are sold.

The Athletic recently compiled their list of title contenders in their most recent batch of NBA power rankings. Teams such as the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers.

The Suns are atop the second tier - the "brink of contention" - with the following explanation from Zach Harper:

"It is asking a lot for the Suns to make the massive move like acquiring Kevin Durant at the deadline, have him miss weeks after the trade and try to pack in these few remaining games to getting to championship level basketball. However, it’s Kevin [bleeping] Durant, and this Suns team made the finals in 2021. So it’s not like they’re bereft of experience in making a deep run. The depth isn’t quite as extensive as you might hope, but being able to send KD and Devin Booker at opposing teams and daring them to slow it down is quite the card to play. The Suns made this trade to get back to competing for a championship, so that’s the standard for success."

The Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings are under the Suns in the second tier.