The WORST Case Scenario for Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns
We’re going to be diving into what has quickly become the biggest disappointment in recent NBA memory. The absolute worst case scenario for Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns. What should have been a dynasty in the making has quickly turned into a nightmare. Now, Phoenix went just 36 and 46 this season, finishing 11th in the West and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Let’s rewind and break it all down and see where things went wrong in Phoenix. Welcome back to No Fear TV. I’m your host, CJ Chitez. Well, back in early 2023, the Suns shocked the NBA world by trading for Kevin Durant. This was huge news, massive. Woke me up out of my sleep, mind you. To land KD, Phoenix had to give up Cam Johnson and Male Bridges, two up and cominging rising stars, and a boatload of future first round draft picks. The move screamed win now. Now, on paper, this looked perfect. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, DeAndre Aton, and a solid supporting cast. This team was supposed to run through the Western Conference. Championship dreams were alive in Phoenix, but there was a very dark and depressing looming nightmare. Now, that started a little earlier than people remembered because before Kevin Durant ever arrived in the desert, the Suns had already tasted the thrill of contending and the sting of collapse. In 2021, the Phoenix Suns made it all the way to the NBA finals for the first time since 1993. That team led by Devin Booker, Chris Paul, DeAndre Aton, and Muel Bridges was gritty, talented, and had amazing chemistry on and off the court. What’s up, old What y’all doing at that JV table, man? Now, even though they went on to lose to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games, the future still looked bright. Then in 2022, the Suns followed up their finals appearance with the best record in the NBA, sitting at 64-8, their best season in franchise history. And when it comes to wins, they were dominant. Fans thought this was finally the year. So then, where did it all go wrong? Well, I’ll let Stain Masters explain that part because he made a pretty dope video that touched on the collapse of this championship contender. Coming so close to the summit of the mountain further galvanized this hungry core’s efforts. So their dominance in the regular season the following year signified a future of radiance. But then they were brutalized in battle. In 2022 the Dallas Mavericks were experiencing a resurgence of their own. And standing in their war path that postseason was a Phoenix team illequipped to counter the three-point barrage and the sheer overwhelming brawn of franchise star Luca Dantes. The infamous game seven massacre of that second round matchup was the killing blow to this unit’s run at contention. That team of Luca, Jaylen Brunson, and Spencer Denwitty proved to be too much to overcome. Yeah, don’t forget Jaylen Brunson and Luca Donic shared a back court in Dallas. They completely fumbled that. I was actually at that game in person. My dad spent $250 on a ticket to send me to go and watch the Suns make history, and we made history in devastating fashion. First off, I want to apologize to my father. I’m sorry you wasted your money on that. Moving on. Now coming into 2023, the Phoenix Suns looked like they were just one superstar away from an NBA title. The foundation was there. A proven scorer and leader in Deon Booker, a veteran playmaker in Chris Paul, a solid big in depth, experience, chemistry, all the elements of a contender. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Why would a team coming off a 64 win season even consider blowing up the roster? Well, prior to the KD trade, the Suns record was 30 and 26, well below expectations set from their prior season. Injuries to keep players, Jay Crowder’s absence, he ended up sitting out for the entire season until he was traded, and a mid-season ownership change, which we’re about to get into right now, were the three main dominoes that fell that led to this massive roster shakeup. Enter Matt Ishbia, the new owner of the Suns, who had just taken control of the team. We won’t talk about Robert Sarver. He had a uh less than elegant exit out of the franchise. And from day one, Ishpppia made it clear he was not here to just sit around. His mindset was aggressive. He wanted to come in and make a splash and he’s done it. Kevin Durant is a Phoenix son. Within just 24 hours of officially owning the team, yes, this man didn’t even own the team for a full day yet. Ishpppia approved the blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant. He swung big, sacrificing future flexibility for a shot at a ring now. The move sent shock waves through the league and instantly raised expectations. That kind of decision-making defined this new era of Suns basketball. Go big or go home. And for just one moment, it really felt like they finally had all the pieces. But as we know now, that moment didn’t last very long, like at all. In 2023, despite high hopes and the arrival of Kevin Durant, the Suns fell short of expectations in a big way. Durant arrived late in the season due to a knee injury. The dude literally got injured in warm-ups in like what was supposed to be his first game as a son. And even once he joined, the starting unit barely had any time to gel before the playoffs. Chemistry was a big concern. Now, they did finish the regular season as the number four seed in the West, which wasn’t terrible, but far from dominant. In the first round, they beat a Clippers team that was missing both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for most of the series, but it wasn’t a convincing win. There were clear signs that the Suns were struggling to find rhythm. Then came the second round matchup with the Denver Nuggets, the eventual champion Denver Nuggets, and that’s where it all unraveled. Nicola Joic torched the Suns, averaging nearly a triple double across the series. Phoenix had no answer for his passing, scoring, or leadership. in like next couple days there’s going to be a lot of beer probably. Devin Booker and Kevin Durant put up numbers but the supporting cast just couldn’t keep up. Chris Paul injured his groin in game two and missed the rest of the series. DeAndre Aiden was inconsistent and eventually was benched in game six. He and Monty Williams had their own issues of their own. The Suns lost in six games with a humiliating 25point blowout loss at home to end their season. For the second straight year, Phoenix was sent home in front of their home fans in embarrassing fashion. And just like that, the team that looked like the title favorite was back to the drawing board. A starting lineup of Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and DeAndre Aiden was only given eight games of playing together before the squad was blown up. That group was 8-0 when they all shared the court together. Monty Williams appeared to be losing the locker room, especially with disgruntled big man DeAndre Aton. Inconsistent availability, declining team chemistry, and a rapidly closing window of opportunity to win a chip ended this team before they even really had a chance. So by 2024, the Suns core looked like this. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and in comes Bradley Bill and his horrendous $50 million contract. Good god. With a no trade clause on top of that, Frank Vogle was brought in as head coach after the firing of Monty Williams. Hopes were still high even after losing major depth. Remember, over $150 million was tied up on just three players. That left scraps for building the bench. Injuries piled up. Chemistry issues became obvious. Bradley Bill missed significant time with lingering back and ankle injuries. Kevin Durant dealt with minor injuries throughout the season. And Devin Booker had to carry much of the offensive load, leading to wear and fatigue. The team struggled with consistent guard play, lacking a true point guard to organize the offense. Frank Vogle’s defense first system didn’t fit the personnel well, and the Suns lacked identity on both ends of the floor. Role players like Grayson Allen and Joseph Nurkachic had moments, but the roster never quite clicked. The lack of depth was exposed. By the time the playoffs arrived, the Suns were inconsistent and unconvincing. They were swept in the first round by a younger, more cohesive Minnesota Timberwolves team led by Anthony Edwards, who’s now being freaking dubbed the legend killer because he just bounced LeBron out of the first round this year, which is ridiculous. That series against Timberwolves wasn’t even close. Phoenix looked outmatched, out coached, and simply out of gas. And yet another embarrassing early playoff exit. And this time, they didn’t even win a single game. The super team vision had completely unraveled. There were four main reasons this dream turned into a disaster all leading up to this year. New head coach Mike Benhoer things didn’t get much better. Number one was injuries. Bradley Bill missed huge chunks of the season. KD and Booker also had minor injuries that threw off continuity. Number two, lack of depth. With the money locked up, there was no real bench, no reliable role players to step up when the stars went down. Number three, Bradley Bill’s decline. Bradley Bill showed flashes, but never consistently lived up to his $50 million price tag. He wasn’t the same Bradley Bill that we saw in Washington. Sadly. Very sad, actually. I’m really depressed about it. And number four, coaching instability. Frank Vogle couldn’t get the most out of this group. Once he was fired and Mike Benhoer came in, there wasn’t really much of a difference. Mike Benhoer, let’s just say he wasn’t wellreceived, especially by the local media. It’s the reasons Mike Benhoer was fired. The team did not compete. The team didn’t like each other. A lot of it had to do with budozer. His relationship with players was not good. They were awful defensively. He was a bad fit and a miserable person. I’m throwing that in myself. But, uh, I think he had a gigantic ego. Maybe one of the biggest egos we’ve ever been around with any coach. Um, a miserable human being. Just an absolute miserable human being who did a terrible job. Now, beyond the play on the court, the Suns are trapped financially. They’re locked into three max contracts with little flexibility. Worst yet, they traded away all their first round picks through 2030. That’s in five more years now. There’s just no young talent pipeline to rebuild. The Suns finished 10 games under 500. Missed the playoffs and the playin tournament. And to top it all off, they don’t even own their upcoming draft pick. That goes to the Houston Rockets who were just bounced in the first round, but they were the top two seed in the conference. So now you got a top two seed in the Western Conference getting a lottery pick. So at this point, it’s looking like the Sun’s best option is to trade Kevin Durant. Not because he’s not good. He’s still great, but because he’s the only likely valuable piece that could bring back assets to rebuild. I mean, trading De Booker is technically another option, but let’s be real, that would crush the fan base. I mean, KD even seems to know the writing on the wall himself, given his recent interactions with fans on X. The question now is which teams will be desperate enough for one last piece to make a KD move. Maybe that’s a whole another video in itself. In hindsight, Matt Ishpia swung for the fences. He went for broke to get a ring. And honestly, at the time, it made sense. Nobody could have predicted the injuries, the chemistry issues, coaching issues, Bradley Bill’s decline in inconsistency. But here we are living in the actual worst case scenario if you’re a fan of the Phoenix Suns. And this brings us back to Kevin Durant, one of the most gifted scorers in NBA history. A two-time Finals MVP and now a superstar whose post warriors legacy is being questioned. Since leaving Golden State, Durant stance in Brooklyn and in Phoenix have both ended in disappointment. Injuries, instability, and unfulfilled expectations. In Phoenix, he was supposed to be the missing piece, the final push toward a title. Instead, he’s become part of the problem. An aging superstar tied to a franchise with no flexibility, no depth, and no clear path forward. It doesn’t take away from his greatness, per se, but it does complicate the conversation. KD is still elite, but is he still the guy you build a championship around? That’s the question front offices and fans are still asking right now. Let me know what you think. Should the Suns trade KD? Should they try and rebuild around Booker still? What would you do if you’re running the team? That’s all I got today for No Fear TV. CJ Chitez. Go check out this video. [Music]
It looks like the Kevin Durant experiment in Phoenix is about to be over. A Suns team that was once 2 games away from winning their first NBA Championship is now on the verge of a rebuild.
A big three of Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and KD seemed like it was a winning recipe, but it turned into arguably the biggest disappointment in NBA history.
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