Devin Booker has been the face of the Phoenix Suns for nearly a decade, weathering rebuilds, playoff heartbreaks, and even a run to the NBA Finals. But nothing, Booker says, compares to the disappointment of Phoenix’s failed attempt to build a superteam alongside Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
“It was tough,” Booker said. “I think just not getting to where we wanted to with Kevin and Brad. [Those are] two guys that I have a high respect for and always will. The opportunity to play alongside them was a lot in its own, but it will always be a disappointment to me to not do what we all sought out to do.”
Durant was traded to Houston this summer, and Beal accepted a buyout before joining the Clippers. That leaves Booker as the lone star remaining from what was supposed to be a championship-caliber core.
Disconnect doomed the Suns
Booker admitted that chemistry was a glaring issue.
“I don’t think there was any hatred in our last group,” he said. “I just think when you are all on a different plan and don’t have the same common goal or same objective. Then that’s what it turns into.”
The Suns were aggressive under new owner Mat Ishbia. They've more than $600 million in salary and tax penalties to assemble their trio. The results were underwhelming. Phoenix won just one playoff series during the era, with Durant and Beal never meshing alongside Booker. Injuries and overlapping skill sets left the team searching for answers, while fans were left frustrated by lofty promises that went unfulfilled.
Booker called the past two seasons “the toughest of my career,” a sobering statement from a player who endured years of losing before Phoenix’s breakthrough to the 2021 Finals.
Now the Suns are resetting. Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks headline the new arrivals, while first-time head coach Jordan Ott takes over. The plan is simpler: build around Booker as the centerpiece rather than forcing star power to coexist.
Whether this next chapter leads to a rebound or a rebuild, one thing is certain. The Big Three era is finished, and only Booker remains to tell the story.
