The Phoenix Suns have lost five of their last six and are 8-18 after an 8-1 start to the season. Things are clearly not working for a team with championship aspirations. The Suns benched Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic in hopes of turning things around. Nurkic has struggled as their starting center, and opening with Beal leaves Phoenix undermanned on defense. There are no easy answers, but head coach Mike Budenholzer must keep searching.
The Suns are all-in, so it is championship or bust. They gave up a ton to acquire Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Phoenix is well over the second tax apron and has limited draft capital to offer in trades. Upgrading their roster is challenging, but the Suns desperately need to make a move. They are currently 12th in the West and 3.5 games out of the final guaranteed playoff berth.
Phoenix should be problem-solving, but their biggest issue is their most complicated. It involves their stars and is even more jumbled by a no-trade clause.
The Suns Big 3 does not fit together
Phoenix acquired Bradley Beal to build one of the best Big 3’s in the NBA. They have three of the best scorers, but the Suns did not take fit into account. Their star trio lacks an elite playmaker and has significant defensive questions.
This season, the group simply does not work on the floor together. The Suns have a negative-5.9 net rating with Durant, Beal, and Booker sharing the court over 249 minutes. For context, the Nets sit 24th in the NBA with a negative-5.6 net rating and every team below them is lottery-bound. Phoenix wants to be a title contender but plays like one of the worst teams with their three stars sharing the court.
Their defense was shaky last season, but Phoenix had an elite offense. The Suns produced a positive-6.6 net rating in the Durant, Booker, and Beal minutes, but it dropped to negative-17.9 as they were swept by the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.
Putting those three on the floor together leaves Phoenix without a defensive stopper. Add in a point guard and a subpar rim-protecting center to create disaster. The Suns are simply not good enough with their three best players on the floor.
The Suns want to but cannot split up their 3 stars
Phoenix is 1-9 without Kevin Durant this season. The 36-year-old is still an elite scorer with efficiency and a versatile defender. He cannot go all out every night, but the Suns are not letting KD leave.
Devin Booker is having a down season but is the future for the Suns. The 28-year-old is in his prime and should be leading the franchise long after Durant is retired. They have no interest in moving him.
The Suns want to trade Bradley Beal before the Feb. 6 deadline, but that is difficult. He has a full no-trade clause and $110.8 million remaining on his contract after this season. No team is eager to trade for a former star making $50-plus million per year.
Phoenix explored Jimmy Butler trades, but would need to find a team willing to take on Beal’s contract that he wants to join. That franchise may not exist.
The Phoenix Suns cannot just keep rolling Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal out there and hope it works. They must break up their Big 3 if they want to be serious title contenders. Beal is the most likely go but working out a deal is nearly impossible. The Suns are in a difficult spot and may not have an exit as the ship sinks.