Luka Doncic Extension with Lakers will give Suns new problem next summer

When it comes to real rivals that the Phoenix Suns have in the NBA, there is actually only one. The Los Angeles Lakers. While the other team in Hollywood brought back in the Clippers Chris Paul – who seemed to bump Devin Booker – and added Bradley Beal after he had been bought out by Phoenix, it is the Lakers who will always be the most hated opposition.

There is too much shared history there, and it is one that the purple and gold have come up on top of countless times. It is even fair to wonder if this is actually a rivalry, since the Suns have never won a championship and the Lakers have not prevented it from achieving that goal almost enough in their history.

Luka Doncic Extension complicates Suns’ 2026 out of season.

The Lakers received even more good news on Saturday, when Superstar Luka Doncic agreed to a three -year -old, $ 165 million extension with the franchise that stolen him in one way or another of the Dallas Mavericks in the Deadline. This news did not come as a surprise, although the form that Doncic seems to have hit, certainly some people have overwhelmed.

What does this have to do with the Suns – except, you know – a rival of a Western Conference that is still becoming stronger to get ahead? It is clear that the suns fish to have dop space in 2026, since they bought Beal and moved from Kevin Durant to get away under both aprons. It is also the reason why – looking at the big whole – it might be logical to act for Khris Middleton.

The 33-year-old is a decayed contract and the turning of the longer deals of Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale would take even more money from the books before the following summer. Only with Doncic now officially from the board – and on this early point – every other organization now goes for the same players as the Suns.

That is not ideal, especially since Phoenix will at least work again in the coming seasons in the coming seasons. In 2025-26, ODDDmakers won about 31.5 games, and that will not seduce a star who is looking for a change of environment. To make matters worse, some of the available names are durant (yes good) and LeBron James (not on a 41-year-old thank you).

Then you come to Zach Lavine that again, Yikes. De’aaron Fox would be interesting – we have already put it for him – but with Doncic from the board, other teams will panic and reach to add their grilles. The Suns can even be one of those teams. We all knew that this would happen, but it doesn’t make life easier for the front office in the valley.