Has Royce O'Neale fired the Suns toward the playoffs?

Royce O'Neale might not be the Phoenix Suns’ most famous player of all time (he hardly could be, with Charles Barkley and Steve Nash spending several seasons in Phoenix). And O'Neale isn’t the most raved about of the current roster. But he makes the difference. On a night when Luka Dončić authored 41 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, it was O'Neale who grabbed the headlines. With a last-second shot, O'Neale helped put pressure on the LA Lakers at the top of the Pacific Division. Could the 32-year-old lead the Suns to the playoffs?

Despite the rumours, O'Neale is still the Suns’ power forward

The Suns were rumoured to be eyeing a new power forward before the draft deadline. O'Neale doesn’t get the credit many NBA stars do, and he’s traditionally seen as a small forward. But he has quietly been one of Phoenix’s best performers in 2025-26. He averages over 39% from deep (only behind Grayson Allen) and has also helped the Suns maintain their defensive efficiency, among the best in the NBA.

Isaiah Livers has struggled with injuries, leaving O'Neale battling giants. His 6’6” frame is on the shorter side for a power forward but he’s shining in a period when the Suns are also without Jordan Goodwin and Devin Booker.

Will Phoenix win the Pacific Division?

The Lakers are considered favorites for the Pacific Division at around 1.59, with Phoenix priced at around 3.75. Phoenix is almost guaranteed to make the playoffs, with most bookmakers pricing them at around 1.15. The online sports betting odds suggest they are huge underdogs for the Championship at around 250. Oklahoma City Thunder are clear favorites, with Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers next in line.

OKC lost in their Conference semifinals in 2023-24 before winning the NBA Finals last year. The Nuggets have made the last seven playoffs. The Spurs haven’t made the playoffs since 2019, while Cleveland have made the last three.

In other Suns news, Mat Ishbia says the NBA has a tanking problem

O'Neale would never be accused of such a thing, but Suns owner Mat Ishbia says teams intentionally losing games to secure higher draft picks is a “horrible” “embarrassment”. Ishbia describes the trend as “loser mentality” and said that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is aware of the problem.

The Suns owner was asked if teams were now focusing more on the draft than free agents. Ishbia says the draft is a bigger thing these days, and that it’s the clear reason why teams were tanking.

Ishbia played point guard for Michigan State in college basketball and reached billionaire status in 2021 when UWM became a publicly traded company. His $4 billion bid for the Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury was accepted the following year. He made more headlines in 2023 when Nikola Jokic tried to snatch the ball from Ishbia when the latter was seated courtside in the playoffs against the Nuggets.