Cover Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images


[In the 30 days leading up to the season opener, we'll preview all 30 NBA teams, from Tanking Teams to Lottery Leaders to Warriors Wannabes. Tanking Teams are fighting for the No. 1 pick. Lottery Leaders could make the playoffs, or they could land in the lottery. Warriors Wannabes are title contenders. Then there are the Warriors in a league by themselves. Team 27 in our preseason rankings is the Phoenix Suns. Check back every day for previews of every team in the NBA followed by our complete preseason rankings.]


Key losses: Marquese Chriss, Tyler Ulis, and Brandon Knight. Chris and Knight were sent off to Houston in a trade for Ryan Anderson and De’Anthony Melton, a deal that on the surface didn't really make sense. Trading two younger guys with some talent for a guy with one of the worst contracts in the league. What? Releasing Ulis was another odd move given the Suns don't have a legitimate starting point guard on the roster. Not that Ulis was blowing anyone away, but he was serviceable and he was Devin Booker's best friend, who was understandably perplexed and upset by the release of Ulis 


Key returners: Devin Booker, Josh Jackson, Tyson Chandler. Booker is the Suns best player by a wide margin. While he is one of the league's most prolific scorers, he needs to improve other aspects of his game, especially his defense, if he wants to become a true superstar in this league. Jackson showed flashes of how great he could be during the final stretch of last season. If he continues what we saw to end last season, he could be on his way to All-Star potential.

Key additions: DeAndre Ayton and Mikal Bridges. The two top-10 picks are their only additions worth noting. Ayton at No. 1 is expected to come in a make an immediate impact as the team's starting big man alongside veteran Tyson Chandler. Bridges figures to slot in as the team's starting shooting guard alongside Josh Jackson. Bridges is a versatile three-and-d guy with a championship pedigree out of Villanova. Both Bridges and Ayton are promising additions to the Sun's future.


X-factor: DeAndre Ayton. Although this team is filled with young guys who need to improve or make an impact immediately, Ayton is the only one who was taken first overall. When you get the first overall pick, you cannot afford to miss on it. Ask the Portland Trailblazers. Ayton is projected to be an instant star. If he's anything less for the Suns, the questions will start and that's not the type of environment you want your rookie golden goose to be a part of. 

Betting odds: The Suns are currently sitting at an over/under team wins of 28.5 and are tied for the worst odds to win the NBA Championship at +55000

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David Kaestle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username davekaestle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.