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Home > NBA News & Analysis > Phoenix Suns News & Analysis > Royce O’Neale On Who Will Be The Suns’ X-Factor In 2025-26

Royce O’Neale On Who Will Be The Suns’ X-Factor In 2025-26

Royce O'Neale thinks multiple players are capable of stepping up for the Suns.

Gautam Varier
Oct 9, 2025
3 Min Read
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Dallas, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale (00) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Dallas, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale (00) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Royce O’Neale believes the Phoenix Suns have multiple players who could prove to be X-factors in the 2025-26 season. We asked O’Neale to pick one before the Suns’ practice at The Venetian Arena, Macau, on Thursday, and while he initially went with himself, he later changed his mind.

“I say I’m the X-factor, but I mean we got a lot of guys who could be X-factors on this team,” O’Neale said. “Every night it’s gonna be somebody different.”

Royce O’Neale thinks multiple players could prove to be X-factors for the @Suns in 2025-26.

“I say I’m the X-factor.” pic.twitter.com/bFy6sucakT

— Fadeaway World (@FadeawayWorld) October 9, 2025

While the Suns have some contenders for that title, like Ryan Dunn, O’Neale could certainly prove to be one. He averaged 9.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in 2024-25, and shot an excellent 40.6% from beyond the arc. The 32-year-old impressed on the defensive end as well.

O’Neale is that classic 3-and-D player that teams cannot have enough of. There is always room for one more.

Despite O’Neale’s best efforts, though, the Suns were one of the biggest disappointments of last season. They finished 11th in the West with a 36-46 record and made major changes in the offseason.

Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are both gone, and there was some chatter about O’Neale heading out of town as well. A player like him won’t lack suitors, but he remains in Phoenix as of now.

The Suns had acquired O’Neale in a three-team deal involving the Brooklyn Nets and Memphis Grizzlies back in February 2024. The team hasn’t been all too successful in that time, but you’d argue this was one of the better moves they have made in recent times.

While there isn’t much optimism regarding the Suns following that disappointing season and the offseason departures, the mood within the camp remains optimistic. Jalen Green thinks they can be a lot better than they were last season, and if that ends up happening, they’d be one of the biggest success stories of the campaign.

The Suns did impress in their opening preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers, winning 103-81. They’ll now look for a repeat when they take on the Nets at The Venetian Arena on Friday at 8 AM ET.

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ByGautam Varier
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Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
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