Are Suns True Contenders in Near Future?
The belief in Phoenix from the outside is a mixed bag
Kevin Hicks | 11 Hours Ago
Apr 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) leaves the court after game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:Phoenix Suns
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns are putting the decidedly disappointing 2023-24 season in the rearview mirror with a subtly reshaped roster and a new head coach that should be able to maximize the talented roster that is at hand.
That doesn't mean everyone has forgotten what happened last season.
Dan Favale of Bleacher Report ranked the Suns right in the middle of the pack at number 15 in terms of title contenders over the next three seasons.
The rationale is largely based on three factors – Kevin Durant's age, the viability of getting by with roster building under the second apron, and the idea that the stars could ask out of town in the near future.
The Phoenix Suns are more likely to win a championship next season than more than half the league. Their title equity beyond that is much less clear.Having Devin Booker in the heart of his prime helps. But Kevin Durant, while seemingly ageless at times, is entering his age-36 season and just carried an immensely heavy burden last year. How much longer can he perform at the level of a top-10 player?This core is also ripe for turnover—and not necessarily the good kind.If Tyus Jones is still in Phoenix this time next year, somethings probably gone terribly wrong. Team governor Mat Ishbia seems willing to pay through the teeth and trade what few assets the Suns have, but transactional upgrades aren't easy inside the second apron. And more than that, every billionaire has their limit. Anything less than a title in 2024-25 could lead to a cost-cutting pivot—and a disgruntled star or two.That downside is too much to overlook in favor of what next year could be. It'd be different if the Western Conference wasn't set up to be absolute hellfire, but it is, which puts teams operating on year-by-year windows at a disadvantage over the medium term.
– Favale on the Suns' title window
These are all valid points. Durant is still an all-world player, but how much longer will he be a consensus top 10 guy? The assumption is that Jones will be a one-year rental in Phoenix, as the Suns do not own his Bird Rights – so if he returns, it wouldn't be under a positive premise.
The second apron hasn't deterred the front office from making some bold moves during this offseason, but the constraints of it could ultimately lead to more headaches down the road and there could be a breaking point for Suns owner Mat Ishbia no matter how generous he's been as the governor of the franchise.
The threat of Booker and Durant requesting trades is in the air as well. While there is nothing outside of speculative reporting at the moment, the circumstances the Suns find themselves in could be asking for trouble next summer.
The Suns rank below squads such as the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, and Orlando Magic in this list, which could certainly come as a shock to some – but it is ultimatelty up to the roster to prove the detractors wrong over the next calendar year.
