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The 2025 NBA Summer League has come to an end, and the Phoenix Suns were the winners. They didn't win the Summer League title, as did the Charlotte Hornets, but they had a nice turnaround in three months.
The Suns extended Devin Booker to a $145 million contract extension. Meanwhile, the franchise traded away Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets.
Phoenix received Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (which ultimately became Khaman Maluach), and five second-round draft picks.
The writing was on the wall when Durant exited his final Suns game with an ankle injury. Coincidentally, it happened to be against Houston.
During the week in Las Vegas, one Suns front office executive, according to Spotrac, detailed the Durant trade and their thought process of securing a compensatory deal.
“When it became clear that was a direction we could do, we set a goal of not just going with a package of all young players and picks. We want to compete.
“We feel like getting Dillon (Brooks) and Jalen (Green), along with Khaman (Maluach) in that deal gives us a great balance of veterans, mid-career players, and a young big man to help us get after it right away,” the executive said.
Durant's time with Phoenix was shaky, despite his contributions on the hardwood. The chemistry was there with Booker, but in the end, the furthest they reached was the second round of the NBA playoffs.
Combining that with integrating Bradley Beal and forming a “Big 3”, it was a tumultuous ending for one of the worst failed experiments in league history.
Devin Booker remains with the Suns
It's not a secret how much Booker loves the Valley of the Sun. Time and time again, he repeatedly referenced his gratitude and appreciation for the city.
They drafted him as a true freshman from Kentucky, where he only played one season. Nine seasons later, Booker broke the Suns' all-time scoring record. Those are only a glimpse of his accomplishments in the purple and orange.
When it came time to put the ink to the paper, no one was shocked. It was a mutual feeling.
“That’s our guy. He wants to be a forever Sun. We want that too. We’re well on our way to making it happen,” a Suns front office executive said.
Even with the shooting guard's commitment to the city, the franchise needs to surround him with formidable pieces.
Despite the team being quite young with their three rookies, second-year players in Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro, and Collin Gillespie, there is reason for optimism.
The Suns' hiring of Jordan Ott emphasized Booker being the focal point of the offense. He's also a coach focused on continuity and excellence, something not present with the previous regime.
Phoenix's young players can make a big splash
With the players mentioned above, people forget how young Jalen Green is. While he's been in the league since 2022, he's only 23. Booker himself is only 28 and has been in the league for nine seasons.
There's a youth movement on the horizon, and one that the main star has been searching for. All throughout the 2024-25 season, he raved about Dunn and Ighodaro's mentality, and how professional and impactful they were as rookies.
That being said, Phoenix's coaching staff feels the same way.
“We felt like last year’s draft class was really good. Ryan (Dunn) can be a top-tier wing/forward defender. Oso (Ighodaro) just knows how to play,” a Suns coach said. “This year, we hit a homerun. Khaman (Maluach) is going to be a top starting center before the end of his rookie deal. Everything in his profile speaks to how quickly he improves.
“Rasheer (Fleming) could play right away. Getting him in the second round was huge for us. And Koby Brea is on a two-way, but we think he was the best pure shooter in the draft. The best part, these guys are part of the identity we want to build now. A bunch of workers who defend and get after it every day.”
The Suns need more balance at specific positions
The team has a logjam at a few positions. Most notably, the center spot and the wing positions are stacked with three or four players. It's not necessarily a huge issue, but it could create a major disparity within other positions.
It's something that the front office continues to harp on.
“Still have some work to do. We’ve got some overlap, but it’s not in bad areas. We’ve got a bunch of centers who are going to push each other every single day, and we’ve got guards and wings who will do the same.
“I’m not saying we’re done, but if this was the group we hit camp with, we feel confident that Jordan (Ott) and his staff can make it work,” a Suns front office executive said.
Their confidence in Ott is impressive. The team alone seems more connected than last season. The majority of the starters were in attendance during Phoenix's portion of the Summer League.
With nearly three months before the season begins, their time in Las Vegas might've been a telling and optimistic sign of what's to come.
