The Phoenix Suns enter the 2025–26 season surrounded by uncertainty. Question marks sit across the roster, and as the team moves through what has been called a “re-tool,” expectations have settled lower than in years past. No one truly knows what this version of the Suns will be until the games begin, and with the Western Conference as strong as ever, it is difficult to project much success in the win column.
Among the biggest question marks is the power forward position.
No matter how you view it,
the Suns appear either undersized or underskilled at that spot. Ryan Dunn lacks the size to battle with the league’s elite forwards. Royce O’Neale, Nigel Hayes-Davis, and Dillon Brooks fit the same mold. Oso Ighodaro brings energy and intelligence, but his offensive game remains raw. If you are identifying a weak link in the lineup, power forward stands out before any other position.
That reality makes the rumor mill spin faster. Every time a power forward surfaces in trade discussions or is reported as unhappy, the Suns’ name inevitably enters the conversation. We saw it throughout the summer with the ongoing drama between Golden State and Jonathan Kuminga. Many viewed him as the answer, though I never did. He is another undersized forward who would command more than his value warrants.
Now, a new name has emerged. Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reported Wednesday that the Utah Jazz are open to offers for Lauri Markkanen. And once again, the collective attention of the Valley turned toward the Beehive State.
And it makes sense.
Markkanen is the one piece in Utah’s revolving puzzle that no longer fits the picture. In many ways, he feels like Pascal Siakam did in Toronto, who was a talented All-Star held a year too long before being moved for less than full value. The Jazz have shifted their focus toward youth. Considerably so. And while they are not tanking outright, they are reshuffling the deck with development in mind.
That doesn’t mean Markkanen is old. At 28, he’s in his prime and clearly the best player on their roster. But it would be shortsighted for Utah not to explore the market for their most valuable asset.
Last season, he averaged 19 points and 5.6 rebounds across 47 games, shooting 42.3% from the field, 34.6% from three, and 87.6% from the line. It was a down year by his standards, but when healthy, he remains one of the most complete power forwards in the league.
That position has evolved. The modern four is asked to stretch the floor, space the offense, and still hold their own inside. Markkanen checks those boxes. He’s a career 37.1% shooter from beyond the arc with the size and balance to attack the paint. Suns fans know that firsthand. He averages 20.8 points per game against Phoenix, his fourth-highest mark against any team.
Of course, talent at that level carries a price. Markkanen is owed $46.4 million this season, part of a five-year, $238 million contract. Utah has to consider the long game. As they hover near the lottery again as a franchise that, remarkably, has never owned the first overall pick, it’s only natural that they explore every option for a player whose value remains sky-high.
And this is where I have to be the killjoy. I’m sorry, Suns fans. But the path to acquiring Lauri Markkanen is practically impossible.
I can already see it. You’ve fired up the trade machine, slotted in Jalen Green, tossed in Grayson Allen to make the money work, sprinkled in the remaining scraps of draft capital, and convinced yourself that maybe, somehow, it could happen.
But again, I’m the killjoy. It won’t happen.
The Suns don’t have the firepower. Not in player assets, not in draft capital. There’s simply no offer that would make Utah GM Justin Zanik or CEO Danny Ainge stop and think. Maybe you could send out Green, Allen, and Ryan Dunn. Maybe Utah would listen. But stack that next to what other teams can offer, and Phoenix doesn’t stand a chance.
Since Mat Ishbia took control, this franchise has learned hard lessons about the value of flexibility. The draft capital was spent too quickly, too aggressively, and the result is a roster boxed in by its own ambition. It’s not an opinion. It’s the reality.
The Suns don’t have outright control of their first-round pick until 2032. A few firsts are movable, sure, but they’re layered with protections and conditions that make them unreliable. Three second-round picks sit in the cupboard. That’s it. And we’re not talking about a mid-tier player here. We’re talking about Lauri Markkanen. An All-Star talent, a foundational piece for any team with the means to build around him.
For Phoenix, the illusion of chasing players like Markkanen has to fade into acceptance. The future depends on development, not acquisition. The Suns have six players who are either freshmen or sophomores in NBA terms, and at least two of them must grow into long-term rotation pieces if this team wants to sustain relevance. Until time or tough decisions replenish their draft capital, that’s the path forward.
So as excitement builds for the season ahead, hold onto perspective. The intrigue is real, the hope is necessary, but the reality remains: this roster is the product of mismanagement, and the only way out is through patience, growth, and a smarter blueprint for what comes next.
