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The Suns fell short of making the playoffs in the West for the second season in a row in no small part because of chemistry issues. Goran Dragic wasn't happy with the addition of Isaiah Thomas and asked for a trade. The front office decided to clean house and also move Thomas, while adding Brandon Knight at the trade deadline. But it was too late for a postseason push.
The changes continued in the summer. After signing Tyson Chandler to anchor the defense, the front office chased free agent LaMarcus Aldridge. They ultimately couldn't land him but one of the cap clearing moves they made backfired. The trade that sent Marcus Morris to Detroit angered his brother Markieff, who publicly stated he wanted out of Phoenix as well. For now it looks like he's going anywhere, but general manager Ryan McDonough has proved he's not afraid to pull the trigger on mid-season trades.
After two solid seasons in which they fell short, mediocrity is no longer an option for the Suns. They need to make the postseason to prove this core is worth building around. The talent is there but it remains to be seen if the chemistry returns after a tumultuous year.
LAST YEAR
RECORD: 39-43 (10th in the Western conference)
PLAYOFFS: Missed
OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: 102.9 (14th)
DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: 103.4 (17th)
ROSTER
| No. | PLAYER | POS | HEIGHT | WEIGHT | AGE | COLLEGE |
| 1 | Devin Booker | SG | 6'6 | 206 | 18 | Kentucky |
| 2 | Eric Bledsoe | PG | 6'1 | 190 | 25 | Kentucky |
| 3 | Brandon Knight | PG | 6'3 | 189 | 23 | Kentucky |
| 4 | Tyson Chandler | C | 7'1 | 240 | 32 | Dominguez H.S. |
| 10 | Sonny Weems | SF | 6'6 | 205 | 29 | Arkansas |
| 11 | Markieff Morris | PF | 6'10 | 245 | 26 | Kansas |
| 12 | T.J. Warren | F | 6'8 | 230 | 22 | North Carolina St. |
| 14 | Ronnie Price | PG | 6'2 | 190 | 32 | Utah Valley |
| 17 | P.J. Tucker | SF | 6'6 | 245 | 30 | Texas |
| 20 | Archie Goodwin | SG | 6'5 | 200 | 21 | Kentucky |
| 21 | Alex Len | C | 7'1 | 260 | 22 | Maryland |
| 30 | Jon Leuer | PF | 6'10 | 228 | 26 | Wisconsin |
| 35 | Mirza Teletovic | PF | 6'9 | 242 | 30 | Bosnia |
Coach: Jeff Hornacek
Assistant coaches: Jerry Sichting, Mike Longabardi, Corey Gaines, Earl Watson, Nate Bjorkgren.
OFFSEASON CHANGES
IN: Tyson Chandler, Sonny Weems, Mirza Teletovic, Jon Leuer, Ronnie Price.
OUT: Gerald Green, Brandan Wright.
The Suns' big acquisition was Chandler, who will take over the starting spot at center, leaving Alex Len to cover the minutes Brandan Wright received last season. They also reloaded with veterans at the forward position by letting Gerald Green walk and adding Sonny Weems, Mirza Teletovic and Jon Leuer.
DEPTH CHART
| POINT GUARD | SHOOTING GUARD | SMALL FORWARD | POWER FORWARD | CENTER | |
| STARTER | Eric Bledsoe | Brandon Knight | P.J. Tucker | Markieff Morris | Tyson Chandler |
| RESERVE | Ronnie Price | Devin Booker | Sonny Weems | Mirza Teletovic | Alex Len |
| RESERVE | Archie Goodwin | T.J. Warren | Jon Leuer | ||
| RESERVE |
THE KEY QUESTION
PREDICTIONS
BEST CASE: Morris lets bygones be bygones and fully commits to the team. The two-headed monster of Bledsoe and Knight proves to be too much for opponent's defenses to contain and Chandler provides the veteran leadership and defensive presence the Suns need. They grab the sixth seed and have a good showing in the first round.
WORST CASE: Morris proves to be a distraction and the Suns trade him for pennies on the dollar. Bledsoe and Knight don't mesh as intended, forcing the front office to rethink its strategy. With the playoffs not looking like a real possibility, they clear the deck and go into rebuilding mode.