The Phoenix Suns are spiraling out of the playoff picture. After a red-hot 9-2 start to the campaign, the Suns are 6-15 over their last 21 games and are currently the 11th seed in the Western Conference. It’s been a disastrous run for a Suns team that entered the year with high expectations. Where has it all gone wrong?
Entering the season, the Suns were expected to challenge for a top seed after winning 49 games a year ago. The front office fired Frank Vogel in favor of the offensive-minded Mike Budenholzer. The coaching change paid dividends early on. Budenholzer got his first win as the Suns head coach in an overtime thriller against the Clippers on opening night. After dropping Game 2 to a solid Lakers team on the road, the Suns rallied off seven wins in a row.
It all started falling apart from there. Kevin Durant picked up a calf injury and was forced to miss the team’s following seven games. The Suns went 1-6 in that stretch including a few blowout losses. In total, the team is 1-9 when Durant sits this year. Recently, the Suns went 1-3 while Devin Booker was on the mend.
Injuries have been an issue for this team, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Bradley Beal has missed 10 games this year already. He was out for five games during that same stretch when Durant missed seven (the Suns lost all five games that Beal and Durant missed together). However, the team is just 10-12 when Beal plays this year. His numbers are down from last season and his defense is only getting worse.
Roster construction has played a big part in Phoenix’s letdown. Building around Durant and Booker should have been fairly simple. Surround the two offensive superstars with strong defenders who can knock down shots.
While the role players have mostly shot the ball well (the Suns rank 7th in three-point percentage), their defense has plummeted. They rank 24th in defensive rating this year after finishing 13th a season ago. That number is unacceptable but would be somewhat digestible if the offense had improved under Budenholzer. The Suns are 10th in offensive rating this season and ranked 9th under Vogel last year.
Targeting Beal to be the third star was never the right move. He’s a solid offensive player who is a complete hindrance on the defensive end. He doesn’t shoot enough threes anymore to be a truly elite off-ball weapon.
Despite their struggles, it seems extremely unlikely the Suns place Durant or Booker on the block. Though, it will be interesting to see how much losing a 36-year-old Durant is willing to put up with. If Phoenix is to make a splash in the trade market, Beal would be the one on the move. Finding a team willing to acquire Beal who is owed $53 million next year, and has a player option for $57 million in ’27 will be no easy task. Plus, Beal has a no-trade clause in his deal that will allow him to veto any potential move.
Could the Suns potentially make a move for Miami’s disgruntled star, Jimmy Butler? Butler would add an extra dimension in terms of intensity and competitiveness that is lacking for this Suns group. His contract matches up with Beal’s from a monetary perspective. The Heat would want additional pieces given that Butler could be a free agent after this season — potentially clearing up a ton of cap for whichever team lands him.
Of course, Phoenix could choose to stay the course and make a couple of smaller moves on the margins. They’ve had great stretches previously when Durant, Booker, and Beal all share the floor together. Allow Budenholzer to incorporate his offense even further.
Either way, the Suns have to pick a direction quickly. Eight of their next 11 are road games. They’re just 5-9 on the road this season and have just one win away from the Footprint Center in Phoenix since Nov. 13 (against the 7-25 Utah Jazz). A rough stretch over the next month could lead to some serious changes across this organization.
