On June 26, the Phoenix Suns engaged in a blockbuster Bradley Beal-Chris Paul trade with the Wizards as the Suns traded away a bulk of their second-round picks and also agreed to first-round swaps. However, things haven’t gone as planned after pairing Bradley Beal with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. To start his Phoenix Suns journey, an injury-riddled Beal has appeared in just six out of 29 games, and the Suns have a losing 14-15 record. The trio of Booker, Durant, and Beal has just played 24 minutes together.
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Beal is in the second year of his five-year, $251,019,650 contract that he signed with the Wizards in 2022. This season, he is going to earn $46,741,590. However, the athlete is once again going to lodge fewer than 60 games. This is why a Redditor reminded, “at the end of this season, he[Beal] will have gone 5 straight seasons not having played 60 games.”
The Reddit user also reminded fans that the Suns will owe him $160,998,810 for the next three seasons. Therefore, this contract is an “albatross” for the organization. The post highlighted that 3X NBA All-Star has a “no trade clause” and the Suns may not be able to trade him till 2027 unless he assents to it.
The Suns have lost numerous picks in the process. Therefore, the decision to bring Beal to the squad could pinch them for a long time. The OP argues that since Beal is always unavailable, Durant is franchise-hopping for a ring, and Booker can’t get over Doncic, the Suns losing record is nothing to be shocked about.
KD is averaging more than 30 points thus far along with 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists, needless to say, he seems to be doing pretty much everything he was brought for. Hence, the criticism feels justified at this point. It is not just Reddit where such unrest about the Suns has grown. The leaders of the team are themselves frustrated by the slow start.
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are not pleased
Devin Booker has taken personal accountability for the Suns losing record. He also expects head coach Frank Vogel, leading scorer Durant, and veteran scorer Eric Gordon to display better leadership. After the Mavericks handed his Suns a 128:114 loss, the 3x NBA All-Star lamented the lack of defensive rotations and sub-par discipline.
“We have to get it together. And that’s on me, that’s on [head] coach [Frank Vogel], that’s on KD, Eric [Gordon], all the leaders we have in here to make sure that we’re more prepared when we come to play,” expressed Booker.
But it is not just Booker who has lamented the state of affairs. As per Adrian Wojnarowski, Kevin Durant is also becoming weary of the Suns’ losing habits.
He revealed that many in the Suns organization can “feel the frustration” of KD. The lack of depth and Beal’s injury has frustrated Kevin Durant who is playing at an all-NBA level. Will Durant once again demand a trade out of another “Big Three” situation?
