Suns Offseason Preview: Free Agency, Draft Assets And the Dillon Brooks Question

Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green are the new core in Phoenix. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It was a fun year in Phoenix as the Suns overachieved relative to all expectations (other than that of the team’s owner) throughout the year. But the reality of just how far they are from true contention was rudely shoved in everybody’s faces once the playoffs began. Phoenix lost one play-in tournament game but won the second to earn a date with the Thunder in the first round—and got totally steamrolled.

Oklahoma City finished off the Suns in a sweep, culminating with Monday night’s Game 4 defeat of 131–122. The core of Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green definitely didn’t roll over at any point but they were outgunned to a comical degree by the defending champs. As a result the Suns were sent packing in a clean four games while OKC moves on to the second round.

Unlike a few other teams in this playoff bracket, however, a first-round exit doesn’t make this season a failure in Phoenix. Far from it. This was a team projected to finish below the serious teams of the West but above the tanking teams, which would have been about 10th place this season. Instead—buoyed by a career year from Brooks and a very strong debut season on the bench from coach Jordan Ott—the Suns finished seventh, eight games above .500 with respectable numbers on both ends of the court.

It’s a pretty decent place to work from as Phoenix’s management, led by GM Brian Gregory, embarks upon the offseason, trying to capitalize on a better-than-expected campaign. Here’s what to expect from the Suns over the next few months.

Suns’ 2026 free agents

Suns guard Collin Gillespie is in line for a new contract after a strong season in Phoenix. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The top of Phoenix’s rotation is under contract for next year; Booker and Green have deals running through the end of next season at the very least, while Brooks is entering the final year of his deal (more on that later). But there are a few notable names who will be in need of new deals this offseason, with one in particular the franchise will be loathe to let go in Collin Gillespie. The organization will have plenty of room to work with financially, too—entering the summer they are projected to have $22.8 million in cap space before hitting the first apron and triggering the roster-building restrictions that come along with it.

Unrestricted free agents

• Jordan Goodwin
• Collin Gillespie
• Amir Coffey
• Haywood Highsmith

Restricted free agents

• Mark Williams

Of that group Gillespie is the only one basically guaranteed to get a new contract. He was a revelation this season for the Suns, manning the point for 80 games while averaging 12.7 points to go with 4.6 assists per game and solid defense all the while. He won’t break the bank but dependable players like him are valuable in today’s NBA, especially at a reasonable price point, and especially on a Phoenix featuring several talented scorers but no true point guards. At 26 years old Gillespie can be a foundational aspect of the Suns’ rotation for a few years yet.

Beyond him, the team’s one restricted free agent likely isn’t leaving town. Williams might be seen as expendable given the team invested a lottery pick in Khaman Maluach during last year’s draft and the emergence of Oso Ighodaro as a capable small-ball center. But Williams is a certified NBA talent despite a concerning injury history and the Suns gave up a 2029 first-rounder to acquire his services last offseason. Letting him walk would be a horrendous misuse of resources even if they plan on trading him eventually. Whether the front office opts to give him a new deal or lets him play out next season on an expiring restricted free agent deal is the real question.

Draft assets

Can the Suns make any noise in a loaded 2026 draft? No, they cannot. Due to the front office’s wild dealings with the Kevin Durant trade, the Bradley Beal trade and everything that’s unfolded since those trades were executed, Phoenix’s future draft pick situation is a catastrophe. And extremely complicated.

To keep it simple: Phoenix does not own its 2026 first-round pick. That will be headed elsewhere. The Suns will be missing out on this year’s class.

In terms of future picks the organization can wield in an effort to make a trade: they have no options. Every Suns pick from now until 2031 has been traded or offered up as a pick swap already, and their 2032 selection is frozen due to second apron rules. There is a lot more to unravel there but for the purposes of this exercise, all we need to know is Phoenix will not be wielding any draft picks to trade this offseason.

The Dillon Brooks question and other possible offseason moves

Dillon Brooks, the Suns’ fiery forward, enjoyed a career year as a centerpiece of Phoenix’s playoff roster. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

So without the draft to worry about and the reasonable assumption that Phoenix will be able to keep Gillespie in-house, the first big question the Suns will face this offseason surrounds Brooks.

The 30-year-old was a huge part of this season’s success both on and off the court. He was credited regularly as the foundation of Phoenix’s culture and he enjoyed a career year with 20.2 points per night to pair while taking on the toughest defensive assignment each and every night. However, Brooks is entering the final year of his contract, set to make a shade under $21 million. Players like him are rarely interested in playing out the final year of their contracts and it would be fair for Brooks to look to capitalize on his best NBA season yet by asking for an extension.

Which means the Suns will have a decision to make—pay the man who helped the team avoid embarrassment this year, or keep the cap sheet clean? As noted above they have space to work with but the trio of him, Booker and Green will combine to make $114 million next year as it stands, nearly 70% of the team’s cap space. Is it worth giving Brooks a raise, which would inch closer to 80% of the cap dedicated to just those three players? Is it worth his ire if they opt against extending him? There aren’t many easy answers there.

Regardless of the Brooks situation, Phoenix will have to look into a trade if it wants to seriously compete—which is the only path forward considering the Suns don’t have any reason to bottom out without control over their own draft picks. Perhaps they’ll sell high on Brooks or see if someone wants a bite at the Jalen Green apple after an injury-riddled season. There’s also the nuclear option of shopping Booker but there aren’t many deals out there that would justify giving up the franchise player who was part of the best Suns teams since the SSOL squads.

This is a team in a weird space. They clearly outperformed expectations but don’t have any obvious pathways to improvement. No reinforcements will be coming from the draft. Landing in the lottery is the worst-case scenario for the next six years. The only solace is that the front office won’t be working with any apron restrictions entering this offseason, which could open up unseen avenues depending on the front office’s creativity. And how they go about any of this will be indicative of where ownership priorities lay.

It’ll be an interesting summer in Phoenix. That much we know for certain.

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