Phoenix Suns
While the Los Angeles Lakers had a thoroughly failed 2021-22 season, assessing the Phoenix Suns’ year is a little more complicated.
They won 64 games, leading the entire Association. That alone is a victory. They also won a playoff series. It’s hard to call that season a failure. Yet, they expected more.
The Suns set that bar themselves. They made a Finals appearance the year prior and led the regular season in wins. They were supposed to find themselves in the NBA Finals.
Now, their future is unclear. That holds especially true of their relationship with Deandre Ayton. He’s primed to hit Restricted Free Agency, and hanging onto him appears to be far from a certainty.
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If the Suns decide he’s not worth a max contract, they may want to find a big man who is to replace him. If Anthony Davis is on the trade block, they could justify gambling on his return to his previous form.
In the event that he does, he could be critical in getting the Phoenix Suns back to the NBA Finals.