What Suns Can Learn From Knicks, Spurs as NBA Finals Begin

There are some valuable lessons the Suns can take from the two Finals teams.

Jan 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball against Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The NBA Finals begin tonight with the Phoenix Suns watching as the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks square off.

New York enters the Finals having won 11 games in a row, while the Spurs upset the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

Here are three big things the Suns can learn from the Spurs' and Knicks' journeys to the NBA Finals:

There Are Different Ways to Get to Finals

These two teams are drastically different in their makeups, as four of the Spurs' five starters were drafted by the team, while the Knicks did not draft a single player in their starting group.

Phoenix can look more so to New York in how it built primarily through trades after signing Jalen Brunson in 2022, as the Suns do not own any of their own first rounders through 2031.

The Spurs, on the other hand, made a trade for De'Aaron Fox last season, but their top-five picks of the last three drafts (Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dyland Harper) each played huge roles in getting them here.

Like the Suns, both teams have a clear identity, and we will see if youth (Spurs) or experience (Knicks) is able to prevail.

Patience, Right Fit Is Important

Success did not happen overnight for these teams, even though the Spurs are in the Finals in Wembanyama's first postseason.

Both teams made trades based on fit and need (Spurs for Fox and Knicks for four starters outside Brunson) to help propel them to elite statuses, which is something Phoenix can do moving forward, especially with it being obvious the Suns need more playmaking and downhill drivers.

The Knicks took some swings, such as trading five firsts for Mikal Bridges, but seemingly always had a vision on how they wanted to build, which could become clearer for the Suns if they are healthier next season and see how all their pieces fit around Devin Booker, most notably Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks.

Phoenix won't have the luxury of top picks like the Spurs, but can be patient in its approach to building and seeing exactly what it needs.

There Can Still Be Time to Build Around Devin Booker

Brunson is the same age as Booker, which just shows that if the Suns play their cards right, there could be another opportunity down the line for a trip to the Finals for Booker.

Booker's contract is much more expensive that Brunson's and could limit how the Suns are able to build around him, but Phoenix is working to find key pieces that fit around their star, which this season included Brooks, Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and could expand to more players next year, including rookies Rasheer Fleming and Khaman Maluach.

Either way, it won't be easy and the Suns will have to be both strategic and patient to get back to being contenders with Booker in a loaded Western Conference, which Brunson did not have to go through in the East.