After all that noise, Suns keep Big 3
PHOENIX—Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are still members of the Phoenix Suns after a tumultuous trade deadline. Now they have roughly 30 games to turn around their disappointing season.
The problem is there aren’t many reasons to believe that’s going to happen.
The Suns ended up being relatively quiet the deadline Thursday, despite rampant speculation that Beal and Durant were on the trading block. Tight-lipped Phoenix general manager James Jones didn’t offer many clues to how seriously he considered trading either player Friday night before a game against the Utah Jazz.
“It always gets noisy when you’re not winning,” Jones said. “And we’re not winning.”
The Suns have a 25-25 record and are on a three-game losing streak. Durant (ankle) and Beal (toe) were out of the lineup against the Jazz because of injuries.
That’s been a common theme during the All-Star trio’s 1 1/2-year stretch in the desert. The trio has struggled with nagging injuries throughout the past 18 months, rarely playing together for an extended stretch.
Durant’s absences have been particularly painful this season. The Suns are 24-15 when he plays and 1-10 when he doesn’t.
But even in the rare moments they’ve all been healthy, there hasn’t been consistent success. The Suns retooled their roster around the Big 3 after getting swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, firing coach Frank Vogel and hiring Mike Budenholzer to shake things up—but nothing has helped.
Phoenix is running out of chances to get it right with this group. Jones insists the team isn’t giving up.
“I think the injuries are a part of it,” Jones said. “I also think we just haven’t performed well enough. … But we do see glimpses of success, and for right now, these last 32 games of the year give us an opportunity to maximize what we do.”
Beal had been the subject of trade rumors for months because of the $110 million he’s owed over the next two years. The three-time All-Star also has a no-trade clause, though Jones said he never asked Beal to waive it.
