There weren't many positive developments for the Brooklyn Nets to sell to their fanbase during the 2023-24 season. They finally got one Sunday, with the Phoenix Suns imploding during a first-round sweep against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Nets gambled against the Suns' future when they traded Kevin Durant at last year's deadline. General manager Sean Marks acquired Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029, and an unprotected first-round pick swap in 2028. While Brooklyn finished the season with the NBA's ninth-worst record (32-50), the perceived value of those picks has improved following the Suns' postseason debacle.
How dire is the Suns' future outlook?
After losing to the Denver Nuggets in the second round of last year's playoffs, the Suns re-defined the term “All-In” this offseason. With their first-round picks out the door, they traded all of their remaining draft capital (four first-round pick swaps and six second-round picks) to acquire Bradley Beal and his $127 million contract, which includes a no-trade clause.
With his new big three locked in and an eye on the 2023-24 title, new owner Mat Ishbia cast aside concerns about Phoenix's long-term payroll in the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement. He was rethinking that strategy Sunday as he watched his team get swept on its home floor.
Ishbia's face resembled an inexperienced poker player who went all-in, thinking he had the nuts, only to realize there were three better hands on the board.
The Suns now have little flexibility to improve their roster. After this year's draft, they will not own their first or second-round pick until 2031. They have $194 million committed to seven players under guaranteed contracts next season, locking them into the NBA's second apron, which is set for $189.5 million.
As a second-apron team, the Suns won't have access to the taxpayer mid-level exception, meaning they can only offer free agents minimum contracts. They also cannot aggregate salaries in trades, meaning they cannot combine multiple players to bring back a single player who is making more. Phoenix owes Beal, whose injury-riddled campaign culminated with a nine-point, six-turnover performance on Sunday, $161 million over the next three seasons.
The Suns' future looks even more bleak when you consider they nearly fell into the play-in despite Durant's healthiest season in years. After playing 137 total games over his last three seasons, the 35-year-old played 75 in 2023-24.
Following Phoenix's swift first-round exit, the Athletic's Shams Charania peeled back the curtain on the team's internal dysfunction. In an article posted just minutes after Sunday's final buzzer, Charania detailed the players' lack of faith in head coach Frank Vogel, frustrations from Durant about his role in the offense, and a lack of leadership within the locker room.
Will the Suns tear it down sooner than expected?
While they'll likely enter next season running it back with slight roster tweaks, it would not be surprising if Durant and the Suns mutually agree to part ways this offseason. When discussing Durant's frustrations early this season, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski alluded to Phoenix's team-building limitations.
“You talk to people in Phoenix and around that organization, they can feel the frustration with Durant,” Wojnarowski said. “The underwhelming supporting cast, that comes from those massive trades for Durant and Bradley Beal that really gutted the organization and left them having to sign a lot of minimum players to fill out the payroll. And then understanding that they lack the assets, the draft picks, the trade capital, to go out and really improve this team.
“This is something they're going to have to manage in Phoenix with Kevin Durant… This team has to win big and they have to win big quickly based on how it was constructed… There's a lot at stake for this organization.”
Entering his age-36 season, the 14-time All-Star is eligible for an extension this summer. If neither side is interested, a trade is logical, allowing Phoenix to re-coup assets before his value dips.
What does this mean for the Nets' future picks?
A Durant trade would significantly increase the value of the Suns' 2025 first-round pick. It's unclear where such a move would leave Devin Booker, who has grown to be one of the most beloved athletes in Arizona state history over nine years as Phoenix's franchise player. If Booker followed suit at some point in the next two years, Phoenix's 2027, 2028 and 2029 unprotected picks could be among the most valuable assets in the league.
The Nets have a known desire to pair a star with Mikal Bridges as they attempt to re-enter the playoff picture. While Brooklyn projects to have upwards of $40 million in cap space next offseason, a trade is the most viable route to acquiring a star given the modern landscape of NBA player movement. Phoenix's draft picks will headline Brooklyn's potential packages.
However, Marks should proceed cautiously with the Suns train already beginning to veer off the tracks. The Nets have been on the other end of this equation, with the Boston Celtics landing Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown via unprotected Brooklyn picks acquired in a 2013 trade for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. That outcome should be in the GM's mind as he weighs his team's future in the coming year.
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