The Suns’ big three experiment: Broken beyond repair?

PHOENIX — When the Phoenix Suns acquired Bradley Beal in a blockbuster trade last summer to join Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, the message was clear: championship or bust. Nearly a full season later, the bust seems more accurate than anyone in the Valley of the Sun would like to admit.

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After Friday night’s 123-103 loss to the Boston Celtics — Phoenix’s fifth straight — the Suns dropped to 35-42 on the season, sitting at the 11th seed with just five games remaining. Their chances of even making the play-in tournament are hanging by a thread. And the much-hyped “Big Three” experiment? Cracking under pressure.

Durant and Booker have both delivered strong individual seasons. Booker, despite battling minor injuries throughout the year, has been efficient and productive — often serving as the team’s most reliable playmaker and scoring option down the stretch. Durant has remained a steady force, averaging over 26.6 points per game while appearing in 70 contests and anchoring the offense. But Beal has been the lightning rod for criticism — and Friday’s one-point, 0-for-7 shooting performance against Boston only intensified the spotlight.

He’s appeared in just 49 games, and fan frustration has mounted around his availability, output, and the $250 million contract attached to his name — one he holds a full no-trade clause in.

From a stylistic standpoint, the trio has struggled to develop chemistry. Phoenix ranks near the bottom of the league in assists, ball movement has often stagnated, and the offense devolves into isolation-heavy possessions. Head coach Mike Budenholzer, a championship winner in Milwaukee, hasn’t been able to find the right formula — and questions are rising about whether this core was built to fit, or just to sell headlines.

As the offseason looms, the reality becomes harder to ignore: the Suns are expensive, aging, thin on depth, and lacking flexibility. Without control over their future draft picks, and with Beal’s contract handcuffing trade options, the path forward is murky.

A roster shakeup may be necessary — but with Durant aging and Beal immovable, is there even a clean way to hit reset?

Time is running out in Phoenix. And what was once seen as a superteam may soon be remembered as a failed experiment.

Suns’ play-in hopes hang by a thread with five games to go

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Reporter Reyna Stanley covers the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on X @rey_stanley776.