Suns Top ESPN's NBA Win-Now Rankings — SkimNews
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- Phoenix Suns reclaimed the No. 1 spot in ESPN's 'Now or Later' rankings after trading yet another future unprotected first-round pick for Miles Bridges, despite going just 45-37 and losing in a first-round sweep last season
- Cleveland Cavaliers rank No. 2 after re-signing James Harden and acquiring Peyton Watson via sign-and-trade, and no longer control first-round picks in 2027, 2028, 2029, or 2031
- Minnesota Timberwolves jumped to No. 3 by trading their remaining draft capital for LaMelo Ball, locking in a core of Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert with little left to add around them
- Los Angeles Lakers made the second-largest jump in the rankings (14th to 4th) by re-signing Austin Reaves and executing a sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler that exhausted their roster-building options
- New York Knicks sit at No. 5 a year after winning their first championship in 53 years, though the piece notes they already lost Mitchell Robinson because retaining him would have pushed them above the second apron
- Miami Heat leaped nine spots to No. 8 after acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo, with the 31-year-old eligible to sign an extension before next fall that would push Miami even higher
- Oklahoma City Thunder rank No. 12 despite being reigning champions, because once Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's supermax kicks in next season they will devote more than 85% of the cap to just three players
Why it matters: The rankings quantify the league's widening roster-construction divide: contenders like the Suns, Cavaliers and Timberwolves have surrendered nearly all draft equity and cap room to chase a title with their current cores, while cap-penalty victims like the Clippers (stripped of five first-round picks) are stuck in a middle ground where they cannot win now or rebuild later. For the Suns specifically, the No. 1 placement is striking because their 45-win roster does not match the all-in spending of owner Mat Ishbia, raising the pressure on a front office that has now traded future assets for Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Miles Bridges.
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