The Phoenix Suns are probably the most disappointing team in the NBA this season, which is almost an impressive feat.
Sure, the Philadelphia 76ers were supposed to contend for a championship, but you can shield Philly's failures behind a barrage of injuries. Same for a team like the New Orleans Pelicans. The Suns have been fairly healthy with the highest payroll in basketball and the results just aren't there. Phoenix is six games below .500 and 2.5 games out of the final Play-In spot in the West.
It's hard to overstate the magnitude of the Suns' failure. Mat Ishbia arrived in Phoenix with a novel and admirable mandate. He wanted to win championships straight away, and he was willing to outspend the rest of the league in order to accomplish that. The Suns doubled down on a massive luxury tax bill when 29 other front offices would've folded. His commitment to winning, literally at any cost, should be commended.
That said, this experiment clearly has not worked. We all know what Albert Einstein said:
"The definition of insanity isdoing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
Okay, apparently Einstein didn't actually say that, but whatever. It's an age-old adage and it fits like a glove for this Suns team.
The path forward appears clear. Kevin Durant is expected to hit the trade block this summer, and it's clear Devin Booker will do little to stop it.
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Devin Booker is committed to Suns through thick or thin — and with or without Kevin Durant
Ishbia made it clear that Phoenix will not, under any circumstances, consider trading Devin Booker this offseason. Instead, the Suns are expected to "pivot and reload" around the 28-year-old All-Star, as he told ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
"[A Devin Booker trade will] never happen," Ishbia said. "It's silly. So here's what I'll tell you: I have Devin Booker in the prime. In order to win an NBA championship, you got to have a superstar. You got to have a great player."
Fair enough. Booker has proven his mettle in the playoffs before and he is a far more sustainable foundation than Durant. That said, Booker's own commitment to the Suns could be precisely what pushes KD out the door, whether Booker wants it or not.
"I mean, it's a rare breed," Booker told reporters when asked about the importance of playing for one team for his entire career (he happened to be wearing a Kobe Bryant shirt). "I take pride in the community in Phoenix, the people that have supported me since I was 18 when things were ugly. And the people that are with us, we just fell short of accomplishing what we want. So I want to do it, and I want to do it here."
Booker is secure in Phoenix. He is committed to them, and vice versa. That said, Booker's willingness to stick with the Suns through anything puts his co-stars, Durant and Bradley Beal, on the chopping block. The quickest way to guarantee Durant's return would be for Booker to leverage his influence in the organization and threaten his own trade request. That plainly will not happen. Booker and the Suns front office are in lockstep, which gives Phoenix the freedom to explore all avenues.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst has reported that a Durant trade is practically a foregone conclusion. The Suns are expected to target at least three first-round picks and a quality young player, per Duane Rankin of Arizona Republic. Jabari Smith in Houston? Derrick Lively in Dallas? Jaden McDaniels in Minnesota? [Insert OKC Lottery Pick Here]? The options are plentiful, even if Durant's age and expiring contract complicate things. He's Kevin Durant, after all.