With the season not over yet, but unfolding in front of their eyes, Suns fans may have to worry about next season sooner rather than later. Currently sitting as the eleventh seed in the Western Conferebce, a struggling Suns team only has it worse with them having the toughest strength of schedule remaining left this season. Since this is the predicament the Suns have put themselves in, the possibilities of making the playoffs are becoming slimmer each night. Especially when you are 2-10 in February, it does not look like it is getting brighter. With the Suns losing three straight, the rumors of trades have only begun to spark more for the offseason. Even with recent calls out by Devin Booker, people are questioning what the Suns’ future plans are?
With the Suns’ possible directions in mind, we explore every option. In every scenario, I think one of the coaches or the front office, if not both, is gone this offseason. We have seen the coach repeatedly be the scapegoat, but this time, it seems the coach does not fit at all. The front office has also made questionable decisions regarding trades and free agency signings over the last couple of seasons. This has led to frustration from the players and fans, which is visibly displayed.
What Direction do Suns Head in Next – Future Plans For Phoenix
Potential Pathways for the Suns’ Future Plans
That being said, with the rumors circulating, the potential pathways for this team to succeed have been rapidly spreading. With the Suns having the highest payroll while also being in the second apron, it is evident this Big Three will no longer be together next year, especially after they almost traded two of their stars this trade deadline. Let’s look at all the possible ways the Suns could break it up this offseason.
- Trade Kevin Durant
- Trade Devin Booker
- Trade Bradley Beal
- Trade Kevin Durant and Devin Booker
- Trade Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal
- Trade Bradley Beal and Devin Booker
- Trade all three
What Suns Future Plans will likely Happen?
When looking at all these possible scenarios, some are more plausible.
Trading All Three
Personally, I think this is the least likely scenario out of all the ones listed. I believe that the Suns would not go into a full-on rebuild after such a disappointing season this year. It would be a slap in the face to the franchise’s fans.
Trading Devin Booker
Just trading Devin Booker alone while keeping KD and Beal may be the craziest timeline to imagine as a Suns fan. The team would not to disrespect the franchise’s all-time leading scorer in this way, and this one would leave fans in agony at the ownership for years to come if it did come true.
Trading Bradley Beal and Devin Booker
Similar to the one above, when looking at this team, the two names that the Suns have been involved in the market for dealing are Beal and Durant, not Booker. That shows you that any report involving Booker involves the team wanting to see his value, not the Suns gauging him out on the market. That being said, I do not see a world where only KD is on the roster come next season.
Trading Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal
With this scenario, we are getting to what is plausible. Moving KD and Beal frees up the money to fully build around Book. Since they already frustrated Durant with the deadline, who knows if their relationship can be repaired? Beal would like to stay in Phoenix, but that could be a different story by next season. Who knows as there is a new front office, what the direction they have in mind is.
Trading Kevin Durant and Devin Booker
Sadly, this is a scenario that no one would want. This would mean the Suns fully caved into the soft rebuild and are stuck with Beal’s contract. This would mean that the relationship with Durant went south, and that possibly Booker was still frustrated from being told to “tone it down vocally” by his previous coach. The only reason I have this a bit higher, is who knows the other changes that will occur with the team. With both Durant and Booker having more value than Beal and not having a no-trade clause, it could be easier for them to reset that way.
Trading Kevin Durant
With the last two scenarios coming, it was tough to decide which one would actually happen. Ultimately, at least one of these two will go down, and that will be just it. By trading Kevin Durant, you are admitting that the trade you made for him was a failure on your part. By keeping Booker and Beal, you can rebuild around them, but you need interior defenders since they will both be offensive specialists for you.
Trading Bradley Beal
This was the Suns’ main goal heading into the trade deadline. It should also be this offseason. They will be able to drop into the first apron this summer. This will make it easier to facilitate a trade without restrictions. This allows the Suns also to repair the relationship with KD and Book, as they have said they want to build around them and win. The Suns front office has failed to do in the past, so if they can give it one last shot, why not now?
Photo credit: © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
