With fans making their predictions for the Phoenix Suns this upcoming season, there have been a lot of changes over the last handful of years that have some in the basketball world scratching their heads. On top of the Suns trading Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets, there have been other moves that have been deemed incredibly disappointing, with Kendrick Perkins agreeing.
Perkins would speak his mind on the podcast “Road Trippin',” he would say that Phoenix “have been the biggest embarrassment in the NBA” in the span of about three or four years, which is the time that owner Mat Ishbia has had the team. He would pinpoint that after the team made the NBA Finals, most decisions have not been ideal, like trading former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton.
“One could argue, or one could say that the Phoenix Suns have been the biggest embarrassment in the NBA over the last three to four years,” Perkins said. “Where they were, what four or five years ago. NBA Finals, culture, Monty Williams, CP3, just got dominated by Giannis. To all of a sudden, you trade your number one pick in Deandre Ayton, who you took in that draft.”
“We’re not going to get into Deandre Ayton, but in a Phoenix Suns jersey, his numbers looked pretty damn good,” Perkins continued. “Anyway, it wasn’t a fit there, so you give up a whole lot of s—t. You give up a Cam Johnson, you give up a Mikal Bridges. You give up a lot of f—-ing draft picks to get who?”
Kendrick Perkins critiques the Suns for not succeeding with Kevin Durant
Besides the Durant move, the Suns would hire new head coach Jordan Ott after letting go of Mike Budenholzer last season, and one can't forget buying out the contract of Bradley Beal. There's no denying the amount of turnover on the team, where there were massive expectations at one point, as the same sentiments were echoed by Perkins.
“Where is KD at now? So he’s not even in Phoenix anymore,” Perkins said. “All of a sudden, you acquire Bradley Beal, who is making a whole lot of f—ing money with no trade clause. You run through two championship coaches, two, Frank Vogel wasn't good enough. Mike Budenholzer wasn’t good enough. All of a sudden, now you’re here.”
At any rate, the Suns are looking to improve after last season, where the team had a 36-46 record, putting them in 11th in the Western Conference. Phoenix opens the preseason on Oct. 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers and eventually the regular season on Oct. 22, facing the Sacramento Kings.
