We are once again setting out on the journey of SunsRank, the annual exercise where we stack the entire roster and ask the simplest question with the most complicated answers. “Who is the best?”
First, a thank you to everyone who took the time to help with the opening step, sorting this team into tiers. That process matters. It lets us break the roster into digestible pieces, group players with similar arcs, and measure them against one another before we start sliding names up and down the ladder.
Now that the tier voting has closed, it’s time for the next phase. We’ll begin dissecting those groups and voting on the order, chiseling away until we have the full SunsRank laid out. For many of you, this is familiar ground. You’ve been here before, you know how it works, and you know how much fun it can be. For those new to it, welcome in. This is where the debates start, the arguments get sharp, and the story of this roster starts to reveal itself.
So we begin with Tier 1: The Cornerstones. These are the backbone players, the ones a franchise leans on when the season gets heavy. Their names are etched into the story before the first tip, and if the Suns find success, it will be because these players delivered.
A year ago, this tier was simple. Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Sorry, Brad Beal. Despite the cash, you were a Tier 2 player. But KD is gone now, shipped to Houston, and the picture shifts. This time, it comes down to Booker and one of the players brought back in that very trade: Jalen Green.
Of course, it’s never unanimous. There are always those who like to push against the grain. Looking through the voting, it’s pretty clear someone decided to hand out “Cornerstone” status to the entire roster. Thanks for playing along. Still, the results tell the story. Devin Booker received a resounding 96%of the vote as a cornerstone player. Jalen Green came in at 57%, carving out his place alongside Booker at the top.
Others drew some attention, Dillon Brooks most notably with 24% of his votes pushing him toward Tier 1. But Brooks belongs in Tier 2, and that’s where he’ll stay. The Cornerstones are two names deep entering the 2025-26 season. Devin Booker and Jalen Green.
So Tier 1 once again comes down to a battle between two players. Last year it was our starting shooting guard against our starting power forward. This year, it’s a duel of shooting guards, though one of them will be asked to play point. The Suns can tell us Jalen Green will run that spot, but deep down, we all know whose team this is.
And with that, SunsRank begins in earnest. The first ranking of the season, the one that sets the tone. Two names, two spots, and one simple question: who do you believe is the best player on the Phoenix Suns, and who comes in second?
Cast your vote in the poll below.
