Phoenix might be looking to move Bradley Beal, but a story from The Ringer suggests the Suns move on from KD.
One sports writer from The Ringer suggested the Phoenix Suns should depart from their current “Big 3” makeup and move toward a rebuild, imploring that majority owner Mat Ishbia and staff trade Kevin Durant.
Durant, who is 36 years old, is looking like a player who can lead a team to a title. But the Suns have widely struggled this season, and by the looks of it, they need to go on a massive turnaround in order to even qualify for a top playoff seed.
Via Michael Pina of The Ringer:
“The Suns have limited resources to improve around the margins – only one first-round pick, three second-round picks, and three swaps to trade – and how they’ll meaningfully turn things around is a dilemma that should be treated as an existential crisis in-house.
“This leads us to a question that simplifies the crux of this piece: What is the upside of keeping Durant? In what universe would Phoenix be closer to a title next year, or the one after that?”
I’d like to throw in some quotes that would back up what Pina is saying.
Two years ago, Ishbia, who is the NBA’s youngest owner and has youthful, ambitious tendencies that make him a soft spot in the hearts of Durant, Jimmy Butler and top NBA superstars who are looking to have a lucrative deal, took over as majority owner. His intention to help the Suns win, have a solid community impact, best culture and top fan experience has sold tickets and made headlines, and the city is proud to have an owner who spends. But make this clear: Phoenix is not a serious contender, at least, not with this current iteration of the roster.
Ishbia, who like myself, believed greatly in the Suns a year ago, smiled and held his poise as he declared the 2023-24 roster to be the best in the NBA. But, he added a caveat: the season needed to be played out. It didn’t go to plan.
Durant, who last week showed admiration and support of Ishbia, said the following:
“I feel like it’s been sweet thus far. I think we’re progressing and trying to figure things out.”
So they are.
Interesting timing, considering the Suns are on a three-game winning streak. Durant’s been his normal self and was just nominated for West Player of the Week. I don’t think there’s any blame necessary for Durant, even though fans try to put it on him for being himself.
However, Phoenix is not a team in contention. Ishbia made it clear he expects to have a contender, year in and year out.
“The Suns should be proactive here,” Pina writes. “ … That’s the world these players and coaches live in, beneath the thumb of an owner whose stubborn obsession with the present day has fostered a claustrophobic, avoidable sense of desperation. ‘We’re trying to win,’ Ishbia said in November, with the subtlety of a tractor … If Ishbia believes what he says, then maybe, just maybe, the Suns should try something else.”