Trading for a trio of true superstars is not supposed to result in a limp 4-0 first round playoff exit. But here we are.
After Sunday night’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 2023/24 NBA season for the Phoenix Suns – who were supposed to be a “super team” – has come to an ugly end. Never once getting close to the presumed sum of their parts, disjointed performances, turnover problems, athleticism disadvantages and roster imbalances led to an early departure for the #6 seed in the Western Conference.
Phoenix’s 49-33 regular record, which was supposed to be below what they would prove to be capable of when the playoffs rolled around, turned out to be the high point. At no point was the season much of a fun one for their fanbase, not compared to what was imagined. And so now for the team’s brain trust comes the tough task of accepting failure for the team they put together without admitting defeat for the idea behind it.
Not helped by an improved Western Conference, the Suns were nevertheless supposed to challenge for the NBA Finals when they added Bradley Beal in a needle-moving trade with the Washington Wizards last June, four months after adding the Hall-of-Famer Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets. Such moves were supposed to be so impactful as to generate discussions about fairness, equity and collusion, not about whether they could steal a game from the Wolves before skulking home.
Nevertheless, it has all happened now, and from the minute the season ends, it is time to start looking forward. There follows a look at the Phoenix Suns’ roster and spending heading into the 2024 NBA offseason.