Two of the more notable roster construction failures of the last five years had a common denominator: Kevin Durant. The most recent one ended with Durant getting traded to Houston from Phoenix this offseason.
With limited playoff success to show for it and many young assets and picks being traded away, the Suns have had a frustrating few years. After all, they were two wins from an NBA championship in 2021 and won 64 games in 2022 before trading for Durant.
Phoenix is looking for anything after missing the playoffs this past season. They took a very talented big man from Duke in the first round and traded for dynamic scorer Jalen Green to help recoup some talent after their failed experiment. The expectations for the Suns are much lower than years past, but the talent level may be a bit higher than even majority owner Mat Ishbia thinks.
Phoenix Suns: Over/Under 32.5 Wins (+100/-122)
Last Season: 36-46
Additions: Khaman Maluach, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks
Losses: Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal
Phoenix is in line to surprise a lot of teams. Losing Durant obviously won’t help, but Bradley Beal was a cancer and letting him go will open up a lot of opportunity for Devin Booker and Green. Brooks and Maluach bring a defensive intensity that they have lacked in recent years. They have a lot of interesting pieces that won’t necessarily make them a contender, or even a certified playoff team, but they have enough to make them a frisky 35 to 37 win team.
