Bradley Beal is now no longer a member of the Phoenix Suns, and it's officially back to square one for the organization. In looking ahead to the future, the 2027 NBA Draft was supposed to be a light at the end of the tunnel for teams stuck in the middle or beginning to rebuild. But for Phoenix, that hope has started to fade. Early evaluations of the 2027 draft class suggest it could be one of the weakest in recent memory, and that is not what Suns fans wanted to hear.
Phoenix is no longer home to Kevin Durant or Bradley Beal. Durant has joined the Houston Rockets, and Wednesday's announcement of Beal's buyout confirmed he would join the LA Clippers. Just like that, two of the franchise's building blocks from the last few seasons are gone, and with them, any real expectation of contention in the near future.
The natural next step in these situations is to look toward the draft, hoping to land a young star who can become the foundation for the next great team. But that route becomes much harder when the draft pool is less stacked with talent. Unless Phoenix wins the lottery and some unforeseen prospect emerges, there is little reason to believe the 2027 draft will provide the kind of boost this roster desperately needs.
The 2027 draft looks less than impressive right now
That leaves the Suns in a dangerous spot where they aren't close to competing but also left trying to please their franchise star in Devin Booker, and even the timeline for internal growth is hazy. Most of the players left on the roster were brought in to support a contender, not to lead one. There is no elite young talent ready to take the keys, and the team’s flexibility moving forward is limited.
In fairness, there are still ways Phoenix could find a path back to relevance. A surprise breakout, a savvy trade, or a draft pick that outperforms expectations are all possible outcomes. But those are more so long shots, and fans should not bank on them. The more realistic picture at least for now is one of patience and gradual roster turnover.
The Suns pushed all their chips in a few years ago, hoping the trio of Durant, Beal and Booker would lead them to a championship. Obviously, that never materialized. And now, with only Booker remaining and little help on the horizon, things have scarcely looked more difficult.