Suns’ Trades for Durant, Beal Deemed NBA’s Second-Worst Roster Blunder
Franchise Faces Dire Future After Ambitious Superteam Gamble
The Phoenix Suns are grappling with the fallout from a pair of blockbuster trades, now widely criticized as catastrophic errors that have significantly hampered the franchise’s long-term prospects.
A Costly Gamble
ESPN analyst Zach Kram ranked the league’s most significant roster decisions since 2020, placing the Suns’ combined acquisition of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal at a dismal second worst. Only the Dallas Mavericks’ controversial trade of Luka Doncic earlier this year was deemed a greater misstep.
ESPN’s Zach Kram ranked the league’s biggest roster decisions since 2020, and the Suns’ two trades combined to rank as the second-worst roster decision in the last five years. The only reason the Suns weren’t graded with the worst mistake was because of the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this year, one of the most shocking and polarizing trades in NBA history.
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) January 10, 2024
The aggressive pursuit of an immediate championship under new owner Mat Ishbia, who took control in February 2023, led the Suns to mortgage their future. This strategy resulted in parting with a staggering 10 first-round picks (four outright) in the deals for Durant and Beal.
Future Implications
The high cost for the star duo has left the Suns in a precarious position. Kram detailed the extensive compensation:
“The total cost for Durant and Beal, counting the extra picks that Brooklyn and Washington landed when they rerouted Bridges, Johnson and Paul, was 12 first-round picks and six swaps, plus by far the most expensive roster in the NBA and extraordinary punishments wrought by the second apron. And the reward for all of that aggressive spending? A second-round playoff loss in Durant’s first season, a first-round sweep in his second (Beal’s first) and an 11th-place finish in the West last season.”
—Zach Kram, ESPN
The acquisitions have since unraveled dramatically. Durant has already been traded for a lesser return, while Beal was bought out and stretched across five years, adding $19.4 million to the Suns’ cap sheet annually until 2029. Phoenix now doesn’t control its own first-round draft pick until 2032, a situation described as the “worst long-term situation” in the NBA.
The ill-fated experiment with Devin Booker, Durant, and Beal never resulted in a single playoff victory. Their sole postseason appearance in 2023 ended with a first-round sweep by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Beyond the draft capital and financial strain, the trades also led to the departures of key players like Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and Chris Paul.
Rebuilding on Shaky Ground
While the Suns received some assets in the Durant trade, including Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the 2025 NBA Draft’s 10th pick (Khamani Maluach), the team’s financial flexibility remains severely compromised. They also acquired Mark Williams via trade using a late first-round pick.
The team now faces the formidable task of constructing a new core around star guard Devin Booker, with limited draft resources and substantial long-term financial commitments.
The NBA’s salary cap system is notoriously complex; for the upcoming 2024-2025 season, the Suns are projected to have one of the highest payrolls, with an estimated luxury tax bill approaching $100 million if they maintain their current roster. (Spotrac, 2024).
