Rockets left Suns in disastrous position after Kevin Durant trade according to ESPN

As the Houston Rockets enter the season, they are looking to mount a championship-worthy roster elevated by their offseason trade for superstar-caliber scorer Kevin Durant.

Yet, the same cannot be said for their trade partner, the Phoenix Suns, and, according to ESPN's model for predicting wins, the Suns could be in for rough season.

Although they still have talented players in Devin Booker and Jalen Green, the construction of Phoenix's roster remains somewhat questionable, and, if the Rockets can string together a deep playoff run this season, they could be responsible for leaving their conference rivals in an irretrievable position.

The Phoenix Suns could be on the fringe of the play-in yet again this season

As Phoenix agreed to swap Kevin Durant for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and a first-round draft pick, it was clear that their priority in the post-Durant era was remaining competitive, especially given the fact that they do not own many of their future draft picks.

However, ESPN's win projection model, as harnessed by Kevin Pelton in his recent power rankings, has them winning just 34.7 games in 2025-26: one less than they earned last season with Durant and Bradley Beal still on the roster.

In fairness, Pelton grants that the Suns, despite their losses of two major offensive pieces, will likely not experience a large drop off from last season given the pieces they added in the Durant trade: "The Suns were probably due for some degree of bounce-back after underperforming their projections a season ago, and Durant's value at this stage of his career is likely overstated."

However, within Pelton's power rankings, the Suns place 13th based on win projections: a reflection of just how competitive the Western Conference will be this season.

Virtually every team apart from the Utah Jazz will be vying for a playoff spot, and the teams that will likely be keeping Phoenix company in the standings, including the Portland Trail Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs, all have scrappy young cores hungry for their first chance to compete.

The Suns, meanwhile, will be attempting to cobble together a center rotation from the injury-prone Mark Williams and Nick Richards and rough-around-the-edges rookie Khaman Maluach while the fit in their backcourt between Booker and Green remains somewhat questionable in its efficacy.

Durant, who has made his desire to compete for a championship late in his career very clear, will hopefully be granted his wish in Houston, while an absolutely stacked conference could limit Phoenix's success as they attempt to rebound quickly from his departure.