The Phoenix Suns have lost four straight and seven of their last eight to fall to 15-18. They are 12th in the Western Conference and four games out of the sixth and final guaranteed playoff berth. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are healthy, but the struggles continue. Their star duo made things a bit worse on Saturday, and fans are left dreaming of an unlikely Jimmy Butler trade.
This should not be shocking. The Suns finished sixth in the West last season and were swept by the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. They added Tyus Jones, Ryan Dunn, Mason Plumlee, Oso Ighodaro, and Monte Morris in the offseason, but none of those players are game-changers.
Phoenix was focused on their lack of a point guard but failed to address a bigger issue. The Suns added a reserve big man but did not upgrade their starter who was simply not good enough last season.
Suns bench Jusuf Nurkic after an abysmal start to the season
Chris Haynes reported Phoenix is changing their starting five. Jusuf Nurkic and Bradley Beal are headed to the bench with Mason Plumlee and Ryan Dunn taking over. The Suns' perimeter defensive issues were always going to be there starting Jones, Booker, and Beal. Dunn gives them a stopper in the opening lineup and should allow Beal to dominate second units if he buys in on his sixth man role.
Plumlee started just 11 games last season and only played 14.7 minutes each night. The 34-year-old is only getting slightly more run in Phoenix and is not a starting-caliber player at this stage. He is a fine backup. The Suns must avoid asking him to do too much at this stage of his career.
They desperately need a rim protector at the five. They knew after Nurkic struggled last season on the defensive end. Phoenix did not fix the problem and are now facing a larger issue. The Suns got lucky he stayed healthy in 2024. Nurk has already missed ten games and has been disappointing when on the floor. He is virtually unplayable, but the franchise cannot expect Kevin Durant to handle the majority of his minutes at the five.
The Suns must limit the time they go small. They cannot afford to lose KD or things will go further south.
There are serious issues that are difficult to solve. Phoenix can trade their 2031 first-round draft pick, Grayson Allen, and Nurkic’s matching salary. It won’t bring back a star, but a quality center could do wonders. The Suns should be exploring their options before the Feb. 6 deadline because their season is doomed without fixing this issue.