Matt Ishbia wasted no time making bold moves after acquiring the "Phoenix Suns," quickly assembling what should have been the NBA's next great superteam. The confident owner aggressively pursued trades for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal to pair with Devin Booker, creating a trio that had participated in 16 All-Star games combined.
Just two years later, that ambitious project lies in ruins.
"The Suns" traded Durant to the "Houston Rockets" and bought out Beal's massive contract after just two seasons together. What was supposed to be a championship dynasty instead delivered a mediocre 85-83 overall record. Only Booker remains, secured with a massive two-year, $145 million contract extension.
Player availability proved a significant issue. The star trio appeared in just 78 regular-season games together over two seasons, managing a 45-37 record in those contests—hardly championship-caliber results. Even when all three stars were healthy, the team performed like a play-in tournament contender rather than a title threat.
"The Suns were just an ordinary, middle-of-the-pack NBA team with Booker, Durant and Beal—on par with 'Utah' or 'Portland,'" noted analysis from ESPN. "Only their payroll was exponentially higher with no promising youth or draft capital."
Interestingly, the stars' skillsets overlapped too much rather than complementing each other. Statistical analysis showed that when Booker and Durant played without Beal, "Phoenix" averaged 120.5 points per 100 possessions. When Beal joined them? The offensive rating remained exactly the same, while their defense actually deteriorated.
The financial toll was staggering. Ishbia's aggressive spending pushed "Phoenix" to a league-leading $626 million in salary and luxury tax payments over two seasons—$51 million more than the second-place "Golden State Warriors." The difference? Every other high-spending team won at least one playoff game during this period. The "Suns" won zero.
Perhaps most damaging was the cost in future assets. To acquire Durant and Beal, "Phoenix" surrendered five first-round picks, five pick swaps, and valuable players including Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Chris Paul. The franchise now controls none of its own first-round draft picks until 2032.
The aftermath? Beal moved to the "Clippers," Durant landed in "Houston," and the once-promising "Suns" now potentially face the bleakest long-term outlook in the league. Just four years removed from leading 2-0 in the NBA Finals, how quickly fortunes can change in professional basketball.
Was this the final nail in the coffin for the NBA's superteam era? For "Phoenix" fans, that philosophical question matters far less than the harsh reality their franchise now faces.
