NBA Rumors: The Phoenix Suns may have to prioritize flexibility in a Kevin Durant trade this offseason.
Now that the Phoenix Suns have officially been eliminated from the NBA Playoffs, they can officially pivot toward their offseason plans. With the Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal experiment blowing up in their faces, this is a team that is expected to undergo some major changes this offseason. That could end up being easier said than done, but the Suns will at least have the intention to completely reshuffle the roster around Devin Booker.
But because of their lack of wiggle room this offseason, there's a very good chance the Suns will have to prioritize "flexibility" in a potential return for KD rather than a huge offer. If Phoenix is going to have any shot to successfully retool around Booker, they're going to need options. Right now, they simply don't have that available to them. The idea is that the right trade for KD - and Beal - will help get them there.
Of course, as the Suns prepare to go down this path this offseason, there's one thing that must be admitted by the franchise - and it's the fact that they're probably going to have to take somewhat of a step back before they end up taking one forward.
What is the Suns path back toward relevancy in the West?
If the Suns want to get back to championship contention in the Western Conference, it's going to require them to cut significant salary off their roster to simply put them in a position where they could make another big move again. The problem with that is there's no guarantee that's something they'll be able to completely accomplish this offseason.
There's at least an outside chance that the Suns' path back toward relevancy in the West is going to take more than just one offseason. At this point, you'd have to assume that's something the front office knows and is prepared for. The question is, will Devin Booker continue to show the patience that is necessary for this reshuffling of the roster that the team is about to undergo? At least for now, it does appear as if he will be.
The good news is that the Suns' ownership has proven to be willing to go all-in when they believe they have a chance to do something special. This time around, though, the path toward rebuilding around Booker could take a little longer. For the Suns, this offseason will be about tearing down. How soon they'll be able to repair the foundation remains to be seen. But it would be very surprising if this team didn't take a significant step back before they took one forward - especially if they do end up prioritizing flexibility this offseason.