PHOENIX SUNS

Phoenix Suns receive poor midseason grade from ESPN

Jan 23, 2025, 8:56 PM

Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns reacts after a LA Clippers foul during a 125-119 Suns win at In...

Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns reacts after a LA Clippers foul during a 125-119 Suns win at Intuit Dome on October 31, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Due to having the league’s highest payroll, the Phoenix Suns’ underwhelming start has ESPN’s Kevin Pelton handing the Suns a “D-” among his midseason grades.

The Suns are spending $214.5 million on payroll and another almost $168 million on luxury tax payments alone.

But despite the team’s expensive roster, Phoenix sits at 22-21 through 43 games and in 10th place in the Western Conference.

Coming off a 49-33 season that saw the Suns swept in the first round of the playoffs and then-head coach Frank Vogel subsequently fired, the Suns were once again projected to win 49.5 games before the 2024-25 season started, but now they are on pace for 40.9 wins, according to ESPN.

FanDuel currently has the over/under at 43.5 wins, meaning Phoenix would have to finish with an almost identical record during the second half as it did in the first half.

With 39 games to go, Pelton suggests Phoenix could make a run, but the NBA insider is more bearish on the Suns due to Phoenix having the most difficult remaining schedule in the league and a poor point differential.

The Suns are set to pay a league-high $168 million in luxury tax on top of $216 million in salary and aren’t even certain to reach the postseason. Phoenix is within reach of sixth in the West, but neither the team’s difficult remaining schedule nor a dismal minus-1.7 point differential suggests such a run is coming.

Pelton believes a trade for Jimmy Butler could see the Suns improve ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Perhaps with Jimmy Butler? Tuesday’s trade with Utah — splitting the Suns’ 2031 first-round pick into three less valuable ones — seems like a precursor for a big deadline move. Perhaps this would be the one that finally works for Phoenix.

The Suns were one of only three teams to earn a midseason grade of “D” or worse.  New Orleans received a “D” while Philadelphia got an “F” for its first-half performance.

Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis and Oklahoma City all earned an “A” grade.

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