Former Sun Cam Johnson talks about the uncertainty of the NBA

The Phoenix Suns have found themselves in a state of disarray amongst trade rumors, and the locker room appears to be feeling it.

We’re often told that players don’t pay attention to what’s happening outside the locker room, but with the trade deadline 48 days away, rumors are already swirling in Phoenix. Reports suggest that Jimmy Butler has the Phoenix Suns at the top of his list as a potential destination, one that could elevate the team to true contender status.

In the NBA, anything can happen, especially with an owner like Mat Ishbia, who is always looking for ways to upgrade the roster. But how does this constant uncertainty affect the team’s mental state? Is it ever truly safe to settle in Phoenix, or is this simply the reality of today’s NBA that you must prepare yourself to be traded at any moment?

To answer that last question, it is, unfortunately, the state of the NBA. But the real question is whether it’s affecting the product on the floor. Former Phoenix Sun Cameron Johnson mentioned on the Young Man and the Three podcast that things like trade rumors can impact a player’s performance.

For some fans, the offseason and trade deadline are just as exciting — if not more so — than the NBA Finals. It’s a time for new faces, potential improvements, or sometimes, nothing at all. In any situation, even in a regular 9-to-5 job, if layoffs are looming, your performance can take a hit, often leading to a lapse in mental focus.

This season, and in the seasons ahead, the Suns will be judged through the lens of fans whose expectations mirror those of New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers supporters. They want championships, and anything less will lead to dismay in the Valley.

But is this what we really want? The energy felt different when team-building was organic, like the Suns’ Finals run back in 2020-21. We may never feel that same connection again if we keep turning over players every two years. While it’s exciting to have stars like Kevin Durant and an owner like Ishbia who is committed to improving the team year after year, there’s a risk.

Now that Suns fans expect a title every season, will this relentless pursuit of a championship keep fans engaged, or will it lead to exhaustion and a loss of connection to the team?

Phoenix’s identity as a basketball city is at a crossroads. The Suns have long been a beloved franchise, one that fans could rally around regardless of the season’s outcome. But with the new win-or-bust mentality, the joy of the journey might be lost. Will fans continue to fill the arena if the title drought persists, or will the pressures of high expectations dampen the community spirit that made the Suns’ 2020-21 run so magical?

For a city yearning for its first NBA championship, finding the balance between ambition and authenticity may define the next era of Suns basketball. Will players come only to be paid or will they come with passion and care, leading to a Suns team that you can root for without having to look over your shoulder and worry about what might happen next?