2026 was supposed to be a season that franked the successes of the last.
The Suns' maiden finals appearance and maiden finals victory was believed to be only the beginning - a notion only furthered by the off-season acquisition of Christian Petracca. The credentialed former Demon started his first season in the red and yellow like a house on fire, and the Suns rocketed into premiership favouritism because of it.
The wheels have fallen off since that rampaging beginning, and with the club now facing an uphill battle to feature even in the Wildcard Round, attention has turned to what shapes as yet another busy off-season. Spearheads established and emerging in Ben King and Jed Walter, are rumoured to be headed for the exits.
How do the Suns replace the production of the pair, maximise their yields at the trade table, and designate 2026 as a detour on the road to premiership glory, as opposed to a change in direction entirely? Who are some of the names that could aid that end?
Read on to find out!
2. Mitchell Lewis
The Hawks appear destined to land Sun Ben King, but he is a restricted free agent.
That means decision makers in Dingley will have to part with some capital of their own, and 'one in, one out' with regards to the forward line makes total sense.
Mitchell Lewis shapes as the 'one out' in this case. Calsher Dear boasts more upside given the years ahead of him and the lack of scar tissue in his injury history. Mabior Chol is one of Sam Mitchell's favourite magnets for his versatility, and these factors could spell the end of Lewis' tenure in the brown and gold.
Expect a player of Cam McKenzie's ilk to be thrown in as a sweetener, too.
