What will be for Flailing Phoenix Suns – and Kevin Durant

Speech in the bare and sterile hall has changed the temporary dressing room in the Walt Disney world Phoenix Suns franchise.

It was June 2020. He stood in front of his team, Monty Williams lit up after his young team Suns left 8-0 in Orlando Bubble.

“We’re not the old suns!” Williams said. “It’s hard to play the way you played, and you don’t get the respect you deserve. But guess what, you have it! We shocked the world and that’s strange. You got respect for the league!”

That was the last time, before this season of suffering, the sun was missing play -offs. Their run in Orlando was barely left from the first tournament. Yet it was the tenth year in a row, when the sun was missing postseason. In this range, they switched over 0.500 only once.

But Williams was right. The beer occurred and the sun was in the final 2021 the following summer. Since then they have been playing play -off.

Last week, after four years, this lane plunged into the end and there was no inspiration for their last close lady.

“There is no justification,” said Suns coach Mike Budenholzer after the sun lost 38 points at home Golden State WarriorsSeventh equal loss of double numerals that basically ended their season. “We’re going through a hard time.”

Budenholzer was fired on Monday, one year to a five -year agreement $ 50 million. The Suns will start next season with the fourth other head coach in so many seasons, all changes coming since the owner Mat Ishbia bought the team in February 2023. CEO James Jones, the final team architect and the 64-winning team followed in the 2021-22 season.

“It was slow bleeding,” the franchise player Devin Booker Recognized after the team was officially excluded from Postseason assertion after the eighth direct two -digit loss, this one into Oklahoma City. “I felt so for most of the season.”

It all raises an unpleasant question: What can the sun with a list of $ 367 million-dollars-most expensive in the NBA history can without Control of one of their designs for the rest of the decade to avoid another multi -year drought?

The question is that the sun has privately confronted since last winter when they began to cope with the reality that what they built was deeply defective.

And even though they now do not have a coach and the possibility of a turnover of Front Office, the new plan is formalizing – and according to more resources of the nearby team, the cornerstone is already appearing.

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Build around Booker as a franchise player

Booker was a franchise player before Kevin durant and Bradley Beal They were acquired and he remains a franchise player. He was a franchise player in front of Budenholzer and the previous annual coach Frank Vogel-arbia is on the hook for paying the outgoing coaches around $ 18 million together next season, said sources-Booker remains as completed the first season of a four-year extension of $ 220 million. Booker is eligible to sign a two -year extension of $ 149.8 million this summer, expected to offer Phoenix, sources said.

In his first season under Budenholzer, the Booker average 37.3 minutes of career on average, 25.6 points-the lowest since 2028-A shot a low 33% of 3.

When the season dropped to pieces, the Booker made a receptive shift in talking about the importance of his “voice”. It was versatile – and intentional, sources said. He and Budenholzer got into the dusting of Booker communication in team environments such as Huddles and Film Sessions during the season, sources said. Booker referred to sending a message to the coach who was on the way out. And Booker, now 28 and 10 years in his career, is also gentle that it will be known to have more to say forward.

“(I need) to be a leader and use my voice more,” Booker said last week. When he was asked if he had to talk to his teammates or the coaches and the management Booker clarified

“All.”

Yet, because of the position where the sun was inserted-in the second apron-Budov quickly around Booker, a four-time star, will be extremely challenging.

Yes it is time to replace the durant

The sun played much better when the line -up was in the line -up, which on average in the line -up was on average Durant, which on average 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assistance.

They were 3-17 in games in which they did not play; 33-29 When he did it, 44 winning pace that would still land them in the ninth place at the Western Conference. They ended 11 ..

Yet it seems that it looks like a player who should want to keep the team.

But with their paycheck with the sky, which puts them into the criminal second aprons of the NBA, the ability of the Sun is to adjust the schedule saddled with restrictions that Kneecap of any flexibility.

And of the few options that have to seriously change the list that has failed is the search for the Durant Trade. They reached this conclusion in the middle when they tried to replace it.

Trading Booker is not a possibility, the team said publicly.

And even if the sun finds a way to replace some of their players roles, they must not combine any of their salaries or take more money back to the store. That’s why by the end of January they were on the phone discussed on the Durant-Neptophabitable End of the short-term era that stood the four selections of the first round, three swaps and the weighted young players Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson in the agreement in February 2023.

When Durant, who left for his contract, learned that he had left for $ 55 million on his contract, he learned that the organization was gaining a traction when he traded him back to Golden State, the team leader reported that he did not want to be traded and hoped to help turn their season.

Durant explained his thinking to a former teammate and warrior Draymond Green On his podcast and said, “I want my career to end under my conditions, that’s the only thing. This is the only thing I’m worried about.”

The deadline went without agreement.

Durant’s hopes to save the situation ended on 30 March.

And while the idea of ​​editing the list in the middle of the season in February, the team learned some valuable information: that the durant was a robust interest, including from Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and San Antonio SpursEspn’s Shams Charania recently reported.

Wolves, also drowning in the second apron, have solved their ownership situation with Marc Lore, expected to take over this summer as a governor. Sources said they were the most aggressive team in February in an effort to get a durant that is close to the star Anthony EdwardsAfter the possibility of warriors was taken from the table.

The missiles hold the two future first rounds from Suns (2027 and 2029) and can replace this year’s lottery selection, which they will do. With these assets in the house, missiles will always lurk when Suns in the next few years business business.

Knicks have been interested in Durant for a better part of the decade and hoped that they were landing in a free agency in 2019. Depending on how their season ends, they could play this concept again.

Privately, the sun admits that they made a mistake by not including the durant earlier in the process. They hoped to discuss the closed, way Dallas Mavericks made with DoncicBut when the sun inevitably had to discuss scenarios with the third teams to find a way to conclude an agreement, the word escaped through the league.

It seems to try different access to offseason. Rich Kleiman, a long -time agent and business partner of Durant, planned to travel to Phoenix this week for discussions with the organization, the sources said.

There are several concepts that define how potential business discussions evolve.

If the team pays the premium for obtaining Durant-A in the middle of the center of the sun, they actually looked for bonuses, mentioned sources, specifically packages that include current or former stars, young players and/or first round to make sure it will be simply for one season, will be a priority.

Durant is eligible to add two years to its contract and up to $ 124 million, its three -year -old Max is only short than $ 180 million. It will be 37 before the next season.

Finding the Durant team likes, and the one who has the flexibility of the salary to add it will be a challenge, especially if it favors applicants. Finding one willing to pay him, able to conclude an agreement with the sun and can afford to pay him is particularly difficult to settle. Durant was the last time, the aprons had to seize the NBA.

There is also the opportunity to find a team comfortable with one year of Durant. It could be a team looking for the last piece in the title pressure – or the one trying to attract fans. The Durant team should still have within June 30, 2026 to offer the same extension that Phoenix could.

“Durant is a top name in this league,” said one high -ranking NBA official. “I see a team who would like him for the season just to sell tickets.”

As it will play, it is difficult to anticipate, with Play -off, lottery design, concept itself and free agency.

Hire a long -distance coach

In the league circles it was a surprise when Ishbia burned Williamsa after the loss of the 4-2 series in the semifinal of the 2023 conference to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets. Were tied 2-2 in series but two Nikola Jokic Triple-Doubbles led to blowing in games 5 and 6 and convinced ownership that it was necessary to change. Since then, the sun has not won the play -off game.

In response to this, Ishbia focused very much on hiring a coach who had a championship on his resume to replace Williams. This list initially included doc Rivers and Nick Nurse, in front of Vogel, champion 2020 with Los Angeles Lakerswas hired. The franchise doubled from this desire last spring after Vogel was sent to Budenholzer who won his ring with Milwaukee Bucks By defeating the sun in the final of 2021.

The sun also brought promising young coaches to interviews over the past few years, including Jordi Fernandez, whom he later hired Brooklyn networkAnd former assistant Kevin Young, who found success as a coach on the Byu.

Whether Suns hire the first head coach or other experience, they could turn from someone who, at least, according to legend, could immediately lead the team to the championship, to the one who could come and build relationships with players. As the sources said, there was something that Budenholzer, who still owes another $ 40 million, was unable to do.

In this way-and in all the sun make this offseason to evaluate their defective strategy of immediate gratification that has been published by the abdomen-mate will have to monitor the favorably formulated statement that they published after Budenholzer’s shooting:

“A change is required.”

Bobby Marks ESPN contributed to this report.