After acquiring Kevin Durant in a trade in 2023, the Phoenix Suns saw their odds of winning the championship dramatically improve. Following a playoff disappointment, they made another big move, adding Bradley Beal to form a star trio with Durant and Devin Booker. Entering the 2023-24 season, they were considered top contenders.
However, the Suns did not win the championship in 2024 and are unlikely to contend in 2025. They even failed to make the 2025 playoffs, a significant underachievement. While injuries or trade demands often explain team failures, the Suns have largely been healthy, and their key players have shown no desire to leave.
The core issue is simply that the Suns, as constructed, have not performed well. Even when their star players are on the court together, they have been outscored. Despite the talent, the team has not clicked.
It`s important to understand why this highly anticipated team failed to meet expectations. What can other teams learn from the Suns` mistakes to avoid a similar outcome? Three key lessons emerge.
1. Shot Creation is as Important as Shot Making
Defense was always expected to be a weakness for the Suns. While Durant is a capable defender, he excels as a help defender, not as the primary rim protector. The Suns lack a strong rim protector, and their star guards, Booker and Beal, are not known for their defensive prowess. With so much salary invested in their stars, the Suns lacked the resources to build a strong defensive supporting cast.
However, their offensive struggles have been more surprising. Durant, Booker, and Beal are all elite scorers. With them and supporting shooters, offense should have been a strength. Yet, the Suns` offense has been merely average. This is due to a lack of offensive diversity. Having multiple stars who do the same thing can lead to diminishing returns.
Offensive superstars fall on a spectrum. Some are shot-creators, players who create easy scoring opportunities for teammates, like Giannis Antetokounmpo. Others are shot-makers, who excel at making difficult shots, such as DeMar DeRozan. A balanced offense needs both.
The Suns are heavily skewed towards shot-making. Durant, Booker, and Beal all thrive on creating and making contested jump shots. While valuable, this approach lacks balance. The Suns struggle to generate easy baskets. They are among the worst teams in the league at getting to the rim and drawing fouls. Their ball movement, while present, often lacks purpose, failing to create high-quality shots for others.
Unlike teams with balanced offenses that penetrate and create opportunities, the Suns rely too heavily on difficult individual shots. While shot-making is crucial, especially in crucial moments, a consistently elite offense needs a mix of both shot creation and shot making.
2. Avoid Rushed Trades
Deandre Ayton`s departure from Phoenix was messy. After disputes over his contract and role, he was traded before the 2023-24 season. While a fresh start might have seemed necessary, the Suns underwent significant changes in ownership, coaching, and roster in the months leading up to the trade. There was a possibility for reconciliation and a new beginning with coach Frank Vogel, known for working well with big men.
However, the Suns were eager to trade Ayton and, according to reports, made a deal with Portland without full knowledge of all the players they would receive. While they knew they were getting Jusuf Nurkić, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson, Grayson Allen`s inclusion was kept secret by the Blazers due to concerns about leaking another trade. The Suns essentially made a trade based on trust without complete information.
While Allen has been a decent player, his skillset as a shooter was not a priority for the Suns` roster. Nurkić, also, was not the defensive anchor they desperately needed. The trade worsened with salary cap implications. Nurkić`s contract was so unfavorable that the Suns had to include a first-round pick just to move it later. Allen`s contract extension further limited the team`s financial flexibility. New NBA rules further restricted their ability to make trades.
Adding insult to injury, the Suns traded a draft pick in the deal who turned out to be Toumani Camara, a promising young player with defensive potential – exactly what the Suns needed. The Ayton trade, driven by impatience, significantly hampered the Suns.
This pattern of rushed decisions continued at the trade deadline when the Suns traded an unprotected first-round pick for lesser, protected picks. This move, seen as preparation for a potential Jimmy Butler trade, was made without a clear path to acquiring Butler. The Suns acted hastily again, weakening their future assets without a guaranteed immediate improvement. Leverage is key in trades. Acting out of desperation often leads to unfavorable deals. Sometimes, the best move is to be patient and not make a trade at all, or to trade from a position of strength, which the Suns have repeatedly failed to do.
3. Coaching Changes Aren`t Always the Solution
The Suns fired Monty Williams, a successful coach, supposedly due to him losing the locker room. A year later, they fired Frank Vogel, again citing locker room issues. Now, questions are arising about Mike Budenholzer`s future as coach, with reports of tension and player dissatisfaction. These are not inherently bad coaches. Vogel is a championship coach; Williams took the Suns to the Finals; and Budenholzer has also won a championship. Yet, all struggled with the Suns.
The common thread is the Suns organization itself. While each coach may have had flaws, it`s unlikely they were the sole problem when the team consistently tunes out different coaches. The issue might lie within the team culture and leadership, not just the coaching. If coaches keep losing the locker room, perhaps the locker room lacks the right leadership. If front offices keep firing coaches, they should question their own role in hiring and team building.
The key lesson is self-reflection. If a team reacts poorly to multiple coaches, the problem likely lies within the team itself. A contrasting example is the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. They fired David Blatt despite a good record, but recognized the need for a coach who could challenge the players, including LeBron James.
Ty Lue, Blatt`s replacement, did exactly that, holding players accountable. This approach, which included Lue directly challenging James, ultimately led to a championship. James Jones, now running the Suns, was part of that Cavaliers team and witnessed firsthand the importance of a coach who can command respect and enforce accountability in a star-laden team. For reasons unknown, he hasn`t replicated that successful formula in Phoenix.
Significant changes are needed for the Suns, starting with roster adjustments. However, a crucial focus must be on improving leadership, both on and off the court. The Suns have not set up their coaches for success. Until they acknowledge their own role in the recurring coaching failures, no new hire will be able to fix the fundamental issues.
Jasper Hawthorne