The Phoenix Suns are turning over a new leaf this season with new head coach Mike Budenholzer at the helm.
It was only four years ago when Budenholzer won an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks over the very franchise he now leads.
Phoenix’s front office is hoping that the superstar trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal can work together better under Coach Bud than they did last season under Frank Vogel.
Budenholzer and the Suns are facing an uphill battle, and Durant isn’t getting any younger.
Entering the season, Phoenix is not better than the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, or the Los Angeles Lakers. Don’t sleep on the Memphis Grizzlies, either, who are getting Ja Morant back and are poised to remind everyone that they are an elite team.
If early on in the season Phoenix can’t show that it’s better than the second-tier playoff teams in the West (Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans), it might behoove the Suns to blow it up and trade Durant.
Getting off of Bradley Beal’s contract will be nearly impossible for Phoenix, but a rebuild centered around Devin Booker would be the move. Of course, multiple teams would be interested in acquiring Durant, which Phoenix could leverage into great draft capital for the rebuild.
The Houston Rockets figure to be in play for Durant during such a scenario, as communicated by Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes.
“It'd be fascinating if a trend emerged in which teams surrendered talent to get their own draft picks back,” Hughes said. “The Houston Rockets were part of one such exchange when they returned control of the Brooklyn Nets' 2025 and 2026 first-rounders for four future assets of the Phoenix Suns'. If things go sideways for Phoenix early in the year, perhaps the Rockets could dangle some of those with matching salaries attached to bring Durant into the fold.”
A superstar wing is exactly what Houston needs to take the next step. Pay close attention to Phoenix during the first 30 games, because they desperately need to get off to a good start.
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