“Don’t think this is fixable” - NBA Insider details Phoenix Suns’ big-3 failure after early exit
Despite boasting a powerful "Big-3" on their team's roster, the Phoenix Suns were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first-round series of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. The Suns' focus on assembling the big three, which comprise Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, may have been a contributing factor that restricted the Suns from being an all-rounded team.
NBA Insider Howard Beck detailed what went wrong with the Phoenix Suns' strategy and highlighted that trading for Bradley Beal may have been the tipping point.
"This is really simple. The Suns tried to use a 2010 formula in 2024. They went for the Big 3, the super team, thinking they’d get the results that the Heat did 10 years ago or that the Celtics did in 2008," Beck said. [via AZ Central].
"Two problems. The NBA rules now make it nearly impossible to build a decent roster around three max players and the Suns, frankly, picked the wrong third star. Bradley Beal is a good player, but he’s not a max player and he can’t stay healthy. The Suns lacked size, they lacked depth, they had no point guard to organize the offense. It all showed."
Beck also addressed how the Phoenix Suns can fix the issue moving forward. However, he expressed concerns about the fixability of the issue, stating the various challenges involved that the Suns will face ahead.
"Honestly, I don’t think this is fixable, not if fixing it means contending for a title. I just don’t see it," Beck said.
"Durant is going to be 36 in September with a lot of miles and a really extended injury history. Beal is virtually untradeable. I think they’re stuck with him and the CBA rules make it nearly impossible to add high-level role players when you’re this far over the salary cap."
The common consensus among various NBA insiders seems to be for the Suns to trade Kevin Durant and focus on building a roster around Devin Booker. However, most find the situation a difficult puzzle to maneuver around.
Phoenix Suns GM believes Suns will be "first team" to "maximize" Kevin Durant's talents
Despite suffering a sweep against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first-round playoff series to end their season, Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones said the franchise remains focused on becoming the "first team" to "maximize" Kevin Durant's talents.
"I tell you, that’s a constant focus for us to continue to figure out how to maximize Kevin Durant," Jones told reporters.
"No one has done it yet. I believe we will be the first team to do it because if we can maximize him, we can maximize our entire roster. We’re a better team, but that’s not an issue. I think Kevin had a phenomenal season this year offensively."
"I think he had some of the best stretches of his career this year. So, it wasn’t an offensive thing. It wasn’t a utilization or usage thing. It was just the totality of figuring out when and where and how to do it together. We just could not get on the same page. We ran out of time."
Kevin Durant hasn't returned to the NBA Finals since he clinched two championships with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. The 14-time NBA All-Star played with the Brooklyn Nets for four years before being traded to the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster deal in February 2023.