The Republic asked several national NBA writers two questions about the Phoenix Suns after they were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.
First, what was the problem? Second, how will the Suns solve this?
Let's talk.
Tim McMahon, ESPN
What went wrong? : “It's that simple. They tried their best to build a star-studded, top-heavy roster, but it just wasn't good enough to compete in the Western Conference. Trading Bradley Beal was a big risk. But the benefits didn't come. You can talk about his health. There were signs of that. It's not like he was healthy the last few seasons in Washington. There were too many holes to contend with in the absolutely loaded Western Conference.
How will the Suns solve this?: “Good luck. I really don't know what to say about that. Bradley Beal probably has the most lopsided contract in terms of money in the NBA (5 years, $251 million) and it's just… There is also a no-trade clause that was somehow transferred to him when he was signed to acquire him when he was with the Wizards. ) you obviously don't have a lot of flexibility when you're way over the apron. You basically blew all your picks.”
Trade Kevin Durant?
McMahon: “The best thing for the Suns, which is certainly not what Matt Ishbia wants, would be to trade Kevin Durant. Now, that way they won't be in contention right away. Probably a step back. I think that's the only logical route given the lack of assets if we want to have a chance to build something sustainable around Devin Booker. I think there's still going to be a lot of interest in Kevin Durant. My first call would probably be to his former home. I don't know, but I've been able to convince myself that he's a good fit there, and it's obviously going to be a matter of the pick in that case, not the player they get. -I think it will take Book's patience to build something sustainable around Booker, but he will need picks and assets to have any chance, but that's not the case for now. It won’t happen.”
Marcus Thompson, The Athletic
What went wrong? : “The Suns' point guard need turned out to be greater than the franchise expected. After reaching the NBA Finals with Chris Paul, Phoenix probably knew the value of a floor general. Beal For all of his greatness, managing a team in a postseason environment was about the composure, attention to detail, execution of time and situation required for postseason basketball, all of which were important. The T-Wolves had a calm veteran in Mike Conley and a deft playmaker in Anthony Edwards. Beal now knows the players around him well enough to play to their strengths. But considering the master game managers and possession dictators in the West like James Harden, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the Suns might. We have an obligation to bring in people who can free up beer and do what they do best.”
Howard Beck “The Ringer”
What went wrong? : “It's really simple. The Suns tried to use the 2010 formula in 2024. They want to be a big three, a super team, and they can get results like the Heat did 10 years ago or the Celtics in 2008. NBA rules currently make it nearly impossible to build a proper roster around three max players, and frankly, the Suns made the wrong third star. I chose him, but he's not a max player, so I can't choose him. The Suns lacked size and no point guard to organize the attack. ”
How will the Suns solve this?: “Honestly, I don't think this is fixable. Whether fixing it means competing for a title or not, I don't know. Durant turns 36 in September. , with high mileage and a very long injury history. Beal is virtually untradeable, and CBA rules make it nearly impossible to add a high-level role player when you're way over the salary cap. I think it is possible.”
Trade Devin Booker?
Beck: “Honestly, I think the best bet for the Suns is to strengthen the roster around Booker and trade Durant to get some draft capital back, but honestly, I think the best bet for the Suns is to strengthen their roster around Booker and trade Durant to get some draft capital back, but honestly, I think the best thing for the Suns is to strengthen their roster around Booker and trade Durant to get some draft capital back, but honestly, I think the best bet for the Suns is to strengthen their roster around Booker and trade Durant to get some draft capital back, but honestly, I think the best bet for the Suns is to strengthen their roster around Booker and trade Durant to get some draft capital back, but honestly, I think the best bet for the Suns is to strengthen their roster around Booker and trade Durant to get some draft capital back, but I honestly think the Suns' best bet is to strengthen their roster around Booker and trade Durant to get some draft capital back, but to be honest, it's hard to build something I wouldn't rule out trading Booker either, as it would be very difficult to do so given the less work he would have to do and be sustainable. ”
Michael Wright, NBA.com
What went wrong? : “What went wrong is the makeup of the roster. It's too top-heavy and there's no depth. And when you get three guys who have been successful for the most part throughout their careers and don't have success, I think that's going to show on the floor. I think so.'' I've seen that before. ”
How will the Suns solve this?: “I don't know. The Suns are pretty much locked in with that expensive roster. The best they can hope for is that the big three spend time working together in the offseason and Frank Vogel It's about coming up with a plan to optimize the 3 more and getting them healthier.''Next season will be better overall than this season. ”
michael scott, hoophype
What went wrong? : “A few things went wrong for the Phoenix Suns in the 2023-24 season. First, the Suns built around a big three of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant and acquired Bradley Beal as a third piece. Beal is on a max contract, but he's not.'' Both players have traditionally occupied the same shooting guard position for most of their careers, although they have occasionally been able to shoot for other players. , a seamless fit with Booker in the backcourt, and developing three or so star players left Phoenix with little depth and flexibility. He signed a veteran-minimum contract as a free agent at the start of the season, but didn't get enough results. That's one reason they traded several second-round picks to acquire former Nets swingman Royce O'Neal, who becomes a free agent this summer. The Suns' failure to acquire or sign a traditional point guard who can create offense and start defense is one reason the team was linked to Pacers guard TJ McConnell on the trade market during the season. Tsuda. ”
How will the Suns solve this?: “First, the team needs to determine whether Frank Vogel is the right coach for the job. If they retain Vogel, they will have another veteran to replace Kevin Young, who is set to take the BYU college basketball job.” We're going to have to find a coach.'' With no sign of Durant or Booker being traded, and no team expected to take Beal to a large contract, the Suns are looking to acquire a traditional point guard through the trade market or in a trade. Need to add. Free agents who can build offenses, play defense, and play catch-and-shoot around star players will probably be limited to using minimal contracts to give players a chance to bounce back from down seasons. There is a possibility that it will not happen. Depth considerations were a big issue for Phoenix last season. ”
Ian Begley, SNYtv
What went wrong? : “Bench depth really hurt the Suns. ESPN's buddy Bobby Marks pointed out that the Suns were last in 3-point shooting percentage off the bench (31.9% in the regular season). Also the lack of a point guard. I think it hurt them, and so will you.'' With that much firepower on offense, they would have beaten more teams than they did last season, but also on defense with James Jones and the team. had a lot of problems to fix. It's the Suns this offseason. ”
How will the Suns solve this?: “That's not going to happen, but I might turn the page and see what the market is for Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. If you're going to change direction completely, now's probably the time. That would be the best time to trade him. Neither of those things will happen. So they need to get creative and really try to recruit veteran free agents who can play defense, especially on the perimeter. Try to recruit guys who are looking for limited-time contracts. You have to go into the draft this year. Get experienced college players like other competing teams are doing. Try to hope that that player can contribute to the rotation right away. It's not easy. A lot of things have to go right for them to get to where they want to be, and there are obviously financial limitations. So it's difficult, but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility for them to come back and stay on the right path.''
Have an opinion on the current state of the Suns? Contact Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or 480-787-1240. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter). @Duane Rankin.
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