After an offseason in which they traded Kevin Durant and moved on from Bradley Beal, the Phoenix Suns are looking toward the future.
With Devin Booker now undoubtedly back to being the team’s top option, Phoenix gave the star guard a two-year, $145 million extension this summer, keeping him under contract through the 2029-2030 season. However, the club will also have to pay Beal $19.4 million in each of the next five seasons after waiving and stretching his contract.
The Suns essentially traded their future away for both Beal and Durant, and they still remain limited in terms of draft capital after dealing Durant’s expiring contract to the Houston Rockets. Following an underwhelming 36-46 record that landed them an 11th-place finish in the Western Conference, the Suns’ outlook hasn’t improved much.
MORE: Kevin Durant puts Suns fan on blast with epic takedown
Suns predicted to finish 12th in West by NBA insider
NBA insider John Hollinger recently forecasted what teams he thinks will make up the bottom of the West, predicting Phoenix to finish 12th with a 35-47 record.
“The good news is that the Suns seem to have somewhat realized how bad of shape they’re in. The bad news is that they’re still in bad shape,” he wrote. “They don’t have control of their first-round pick until 2032 — presuming they get it unfrozen — and have a roster that will be hard-pressed to stay in playoff contention in the rugged West.”
The Suns acquired Durant in February 2023, notably giving up Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and four unprotected first-round picks. That June, the team acquired Beal for a package including Chris Paul, four first-round pick swaps and six second-round picks.
While the Suns received Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 Draft — which they used to select Khaman Maluach — and five second-round picks for Durant, their expensive swing-and-miss could haunt them for years to come.
For now, Booker will look to lead an underwhelming roster to the playoffs, which appears unlikely in a stacked Western Conference.
