The Phoenix Suns have little mention in NBA.com’s survey of general managers going into the 2026-27 season.
Suns coach Jordan Ott received votes for coaches with the best offense and best defensive schemes.
That’s it for the Suns.
Ott is in his second season as an NBA head coach, after leading the team to a surprise 45-win season and playoff appearance in 2025-26.
The NBA general managers voted on 48 questions about the best teams, players, coaches and offseason moves. They weren’t allowed to vote for their own team or personnel. The surveys began in 2002-03.
Indiana Pacers’ coach Rick Carlisle received 47% of the votes for best offense and Oklahoma City Thunder collected 67% of the votes for top defensive schemes.
Suns five-time All-Star Devin Booker
has gone from being viewed as one of the NBA’s best shooting guards by the league’s general managers to not receiving a single vote for a second straight season.
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards garnished 73% of the votes for NBA’s best shooting guard followed by Oklahoma City All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at 13%, Los Angeles Lakers All-Star Luka Doncic at 10% and Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell at 3%.
This is the third straight year Edwards has been the top vote getter for NBA’s top shooting guard by NBA general managers.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning two-time NBA MVP, received 67% of the votes for NBA’s top point guard.
Booker has had more facilitator guard duties since 2023-24 when the Suns traded point guard Chris Paul in acquiring Bradley Beal, but even going into that season, Booker received 63% of the votes for NBA’s top shooting guard.
2022-23 – Booker 45%, Luka Doncic 28%, Stephen Curry 17%. Also receiving votes: Beal, James Harden, Jayson Tatum.
2023-24 – Booker 63%, Curry, Golden State 10%, Doncic 7%, Edwards 7%, Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City 7%. Also receiving votes: Jimmy Butler, Tatum.
2024-25 – Edwards 33%, Booker 23%, Gilgeous-Alexander 20%, Curry 10%, Doncic 7%. Also receiving votes: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White.
2025-26 – Edwards 70%, Mitchell 13%, Dončić 7%, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 7%, Curry 3%.
The NBA has morphed into having lead guards, who are essentially players who are scorers, but bring the ball up and initiate offense.
Averaging 26.1 points and six assists last season, Booker falls into that category as does Edwards, Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell and Doncic.
Last season, Doncic was first in the NBA in scoring at 33.5 points a game and fourth in assists at 8.3 a game.
Gilgeous-Alexander was the NBA’s second-leading scorer at 31.1 points a game and averaged 6.6 assists.
Edwards averaged 28.8 points to rank third in the NBA in scoring and 3.7 assists last season while Mitchell averaged 27.9 points and 5.7 assists.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker goes unnoticed once again by NBA GMs
