The Suns are on the brink of being swept by the Timberwolves. Typically, a team with championship expectations would look to retool the roster after what will likely be a disastrous playoff exit.
However, the James Jones-led front office has limited options to upgrade the roster.
The Suns have $150M committed to just three players — Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal — for the 2024-25 season. For context, their combined salary exceeds the total payroll of 14 of the 30 teams in the league next season.
The obvious move would be to trade one of the three in exchange for quality role players who fit the skillsets of the other two stars. But breaking up that big three is easier said than done.
While Beal has a no-trade clause in his contract, Booker — the longest-tenured player in the franchise — has long been viewed as an untouchable asset by the Suns front office. Furthermore, Booker, 27, is the youngest of the three and probably brings the most long-term value to the Suns.
That leaves Durant.
Trading such a high-level player is never an easy call, but ESPN NBA insider Bobby Marks reckons it could be the only option the Suns have to improve the roster.
If the Suns make the drastic call, Durant would have changed teams four times in the last five years following his stops in Golden State, Brooklyn and Phoenix. But unlike those instances when he changed teams of his own volition (or requested a trade), Durant could be moved without being given a choice.
The 35-year-old Durant is still an elite scorer, but his recent playoff woes against the Celtics in 2022 and the Timberwolves this year are markers of him no longer being in his prime.
Phoenix could be better off trading him when he still has high trade value than in a year from now when the Suns could be back in the same position with Durant nearing 37.
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