The purpose of every NBA team is to win a championship this season or near future.
The absolute worst place is mediocre, with no room for improvement. That’s why so many organizations take part in the rebuild phase every season.
Now, a recent report suggests that almost half of the league as a whole is currently in some stage of rebuilding.
The 14 teams ranked from best to worst, with the bottom of the list being the 2021 NBA finalist, the Phoenix Suns.
NBA expert Tim Bontemps rated 14 reconstruction teams in an ESPN article and chose the Suns as the worst.
Suns general manager Brian Gregory recently traded Kevin Durant for the Houston Rockets and agreed to acquire a deal with Bradley Beal.
Phoenix is no longer in a position to compete in the Western Conference. Bontemps believes there is no reason for “optimism.”
“Most of the franchises on this list have at least optimism, but there’s nothing in the sun,” he writes.
“Their draft capital is tied up for the remaining decade, so they also have the ability to generate real cap space between the dead money of the book and the huge expansion of Devin Booker.
“And today’s Western Conference, Gauntlet, is increasing the difficulty facing Phoenix’s rebuild.”
The most concern with Suns fans’ ratings is that Bontemps doesn’t expect the team to relate “quickly development” again.
“It’s not immediately for a rival team that has a future first round pick for the Suns, and it’s an attractive development,” he added.
“Perhaps in a few years, Ishvia and the franchise can start reworking the roster around Booker, as some of the current money comes out of Phoenix books.”
The Phoenix Suns are in a difficult situation. It cannot be denied. But it’s not all fate and darkness for the Arizona franchise.
Most NBA teams, including those with playoff hopes, don’t have a better player than Booker. He averaged over 25 points per game in the last seven seasons.
Plus, Booker isn’t without talent around him. Jalen Green is just 23 years old and led the Houston Rocket with 52 wins in scoring (21 ppg) last season.
| position | starter | bench |
| pg | Devin Booker | Jared Butler |
| SG | Jalen Green | Grayson Allen |
| science fiction | Lois Onelle | Ryan Dunn |
| pf | Dillon Brooks | Very good |
| c | Mark Williams | Khaman Maluach |
The Suns also have several other potential players. Mark Williams, Ryan Dunn, and 2025 draft pick Kaman Maulach all managed to improve well.
Dillon Brooks, Royce O’Neale, and Grayson Allen are also solid roles who can hold some value, at least at trade deadlines.
The Suns front office has made some poor decisions in recent seasons, but only one young player is needed to grow into an All-Star, and they could once again become a playoff team.