The 2025-26 NBA schedule was released on Thursday for all 30 teams. The Phoenix Suns enter the campaign after a 36-46 finish last season, culminating in the firing of head coach Mike Budenholzer. In turn, they will look to rebuild with Jordan Ott leading a young core accompanying Devin Booker, after Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal left in the offseason. Here is what Suns fans can expect in this season’s schedule.
2025-26 Suns Schedule: 3 Takeaways
Takeaway 1: Not much in the national spotlight
The Suns entered the 2024-25 season with high expectations. Booker, Durant and Beal entered their second season as a potent trio that could contest with Western Conference stalwarts. An enthralled NBA gave the Suns nationally televised games during opening week and Christmas Day.
With Durant and Beal no longer in the Valley, Suns will not be featured in the national schedule during both of those periods. In fact, they will only play nine nationally televised games. Additionally, they are one of 12 teams to have a single digit amount of national games. Eight of those, including the Suns, failed to make the NBA playoffs or the play-in tournament.
Phoenix has a November 8 game against the LA Clippers on the ESPN family of networks and no games on Amazon Prime. It will also have five games on NBC and its streaming platform, Peacock, and three games exclusively on Peacock.
Takeaway 2: Grueling stretches galore
Back-to-backs were commonplace under Budenholzer last season, with the Suns having 16 of them. But the more things change, the more they remain the same.
Phoenix will once again have 16 back-to-backs this season. Three of these series will feature a home and away game but will take place later this year. However, the back-to-backs increase towards the end of the season, with four happening in the month of March.
Additionally, the Suns have multiple stretches away from PHX Arena, all of them taking place in 2026. One between January 13th and 23rd will see them play six games on the East Coast. Another six-game road trip, between March 10th and 19th, includes bouts against the last two Eastern Conference champions. In comparison, four consecutive road games were the longest stretches last season.
Seizing momentum on road trips will be crucial for a Suns side that lost nine of their last 10 games last season.
Takeaway #3: Eight trips down memory lane
Beal and Durant provided anticipation for Suns fans, who are still hoping to experience a second title run this decade. But after a subpar season, both left Phoenix for better opportunities.
The Suns will face Beal’s Clippers four times this season. Two games at PHX Arena on November 6th and February 1st, and two at the Intuit Dome on October 24th and November 8th. The latter will be broadcast on ESPN.
Ott’s side will face Durant’s Houston Rockets four times as well. Durant’s returns to the Valley on November 24th and April 7th will be broadcasted on NBC and/or Peacock, while the games in Houston will take place on December 5th and January 5th.
Not only will the games be crucial to measure Durant’s contention chances with the Rockets, it will also be an opportunity for the Suns’ current players–Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks–to face their former team. Additionally, the games will also provide a platform for rookies Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea to show their skills, as the Suns received their picks in the Durant trade.
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