Brett Davis-Imagn Images
A fresh start is the only way forward for the struggling Suns.
Welcome to the How to Fix the Suns series, where we break down the paths available to the Phoenix Suns as they navigate the 2025 offseason.
This season for the
Phoenix Suns has failed to meet expectations once again. With the team on the outside of the Play-In, hoping to sneak into a spot, it does not look hopeful to most.
Currently, the team is 35-41 and eleventh in the Western Conference. Not only have there been problems this last season with roster construction headed by the front office, but coaching has not known how to utilize the team to its best ability. This has left not only the fans but also everyone involved frustrated with the outcome we are witnessing.
We know that this team, led by Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, can do something; they are 13-3 this season in games just with their duo.
The game has shifted away from the “big 3” dominance and is now more of a duo league with an overall strong supporting cast. This, combined with the Suns not having a coach to lead their roster, has led to some disastrous trades and underwhelming seasons. That being said, I think a fresh start for this organization is needed to get the direction of this roster back on track.
Front Office Changes
This front office has made some great moves, but also some head-scratching ones. Making that Kevin Durant trade was the right one. After seeing this team make the
NBA Finals led by Devin Booker, it’s clear that they need another star to return to that stage.
After that is where the Suns made some questionable trades, bringing in Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen, and Jusuf Nurkic. Three players who did not necessarily move the needle in any role you didn’t have already. The Suns also moved off some quality players to bring in these three, who have, for the most part, not fit on the roster.
The Suns traded Chris Paul, who, yes, had gotten older and may not have been worth his contract, but once again he has proved he can still be valuable in the right role. The Suns also traded Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara. Camara, being a young defensive prospect, has become the new defensive identity for the
Portland Trail Blazers in just one year. Not to mention, he was a “throw-in” in the trade and fills a role this team currently lacks.
Ayton has not lived up to his potential as the number one pick, but he was more productive than Nurkic for this team. The Sun’s front office also received multiple offers for Ayton that offseason and had a chance to trade him to the Indiana Pacers, but instead let him sign the contract.
Why would they not orchestrate a sign and trade to get off someone who did not want to be here and would only get you a worse return the next offseason? Beats me, but that is the front office we are dealing with.
Then you look at who the Suns have received in these trades. Beal has not fit in a starting lineup with these guys, with all of them doing the same on offense. Without any defenders in the lineup also hinders things. Beal also makes $50+ million and has a no-trade clause on his contract. This severely limits the Suns’ team from making a move on a player who does not fit.
The other two — Allen and Nurkic — were brought in from Milwaukee and Portland and, once again, do not present a role the Suns team needs. Allen was solid last year as a three-point shooter with both other guards having to be playmakers. With former college teammate Tyus Jones joining and the Suns needing some level of defense in the lineup, this has led to Allen coming off the bench. This has not worked out for him this year as his numbers have been done.
Nurkic could not make it even through two seasons, as the Suns had another issue with their center. After moving out of Ayton, this is something no one wanted to deal with, but unfortunately, something we were presented with. Nurkic did not fit with either coach and the Suns moved on from him before his contract could even expire.
As a result, they got Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic. To get both players to see the court took a month, and only one has made an impact. Once again, a trade that has helped, but if we had avoided this mess, it could have been better for the franchise.
One thing is sure about General Manager James Jones: he loves to have shooters and scorers. Yet, there are very few wings on this team. This was something I brought up that the Suns should have explored at the deadline, given their still-needed defensive wing help. Now Cody Martin has made that impact, but if the Suns had that all year long, then it would have done wonders.
Oh, wait, they did. That’s right. One good thing the Suns did was draft two talented rookies this season.
With the Suns having very little draft capital in the near future and now, they did strike gold in both prospects. Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro have been solid for this Suns rotation and have made key impacts so far. That being said, they have had very little time to grow due to another restriction.
Coaching has Not Worked
The coaching carousel has been going for the Suns, and it may not stop after this season. The Suns’ record last year was 49-33, but even that was followed by a disappointing first-round sweep at the hands of the
Minnesota Timberwolves. That led to Frank Vogel getting fired and Mike Budenholzer getting hired. Since then, the Suns have had a worse record and statistics despite having a better roster. This is inexcusable for a Suns team that wants to win and avoid the same repetitive pattern.
Each coach has faced challenges over the past couple of seasons, raising the possibility of their departure. Monty didn’t get along with Crowder or Ayton. Vogel’s teams “underperformed”. Most recently, it’s been Mike Budenholzer’s rotations.
The Suns’ rookies, Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, have been impactful but only recently started getting the spotlight. The reason? Coach Mike Budenholzer. Why was Bol Bol stashed on the bench all season despite proving he could make an impact in limited minutes? Why didn’t he see the floor when Jusuf Nurkic was getting DNPs? The answer? Coach Mike Budenholzer. Why did Mason Plumlee get to play over Oso? Why did it take so long for Tyus Jones to get benched? The answer? Coach Mike Budenholzer.
Final Thoughts
There are so many more questions you could ask, too, and we will never know the answer to them. One thing that is true about this team, though, is that they can win with these stars, and we have seen that. That is why I say we start with a clean slate for the front office and coaching staff. We need new voices and new opportunities for this team.
Look at the Valley Suns, in their inaugural season,
they made the playoffs; the Suns can do the same with this roster. With a new outlook, this will help shape the direction of this team for the better.
Listen to the latest podcast episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below. Stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Podbean, Castbox.
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