The Suns were once considered the favourites to win the championship this season, with three star players in their possession, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, but after being swept 4-0 by the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs, they were forced to start offseason preparations early, and management was bound to make some big decisions that changed the team, especially when it came to Durant and head coach Frank Vogel.
This season is Ishbia's first full season as Suns owner, but he's been bold. Not only does he have absolute trust in the team's general manager, James Jones, who backed him to complete a major trade for Bradley Beal last summer, but he also hired Vogel, who led the Los Angeles Lakers to a championship in 2020, as the team's head coach. According to league sources, the Suns chose to sign Vogel because he impressed both owner Ishbia and general manager Jones when it came to integrating the team's talents.
But just a year later, the Suns lost in the first round of the playoffs. And whenever a team aiming to win a title fails to live up to expectations, there are rumors and discussions about where the team is headed. And for the Suns, those discussions were focused on Vogel, but have now expanded to what team management will ultimately do with their roster.
The Suns have the league's highest salary gross for the 2024-25 season, with 11 players combined to exceed $200 million a year, including the player/team options of Eric Gordon, Josh Okogie, Damion Lee and Drew Eubanks, with Durant, Booker and Beal alone totaling more than $150 million. With the salaries of the team's star players too high, the Suns management doesn't really have much room to maneuver when it comes to roster building, especially when they're not prepared to tear up the core players they worked so hard to get over after just one season.
The Suns' goal has always been to win a championship, so according to NBA insiders, the team has no idea of trading Durant in the offseason, and the team's top brass believes that the trio of Durant, Booker and Beal can succeed. But there's no denying that the Suns' star trio didn't live up to their potential in the playoffs, ultimately leading to them being swept in the first round by the young Timberwolves. But there's no reason to panic within the team, especially considering that Durant and Booker are both some of the best players in the league, and when the Suns traded Durant last offseason, owner Ishbia was convinced that Durant was the clear choice to lead the team to a championship, and that belief hasn't wavered in the slightest a year later.
Booker's contract runs through the 2027-28 season and won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Beal has trade veto power and his contract runs through the 2026-27 season, making Durant the only player in the Suns' Big Three with a doubtful future, as he only has two years left on his current contract and will be eligible for an early extension on July 8 this year.
And the Suns have no reason to drop Durant this offseason and tear up the lavish roster they've worked so hard to build. Last summer, the Suns signed Booker to a contract extension with a maximum salary, followed by a $70 million contract extension for God pitcher Grayson Allen. After that, Ishbia and the Suns must already be discussing what kind of contract extension they will offer Durant in July. According to ESPN's ace reporter Brian Windhorst, Durant will be 36 years old at the start of training camp in September, and considering such an age, the Suns' best option is to reach an early contract extension with Durant worth nearly $60 million a year, so that his contract can last until the 2026-27 season, and the Big Three can be aligned.
If Durant gets such an offer, then he doesn't have any reason to refuse. The 14-time All-Star, who recovered from a massive Achilles tendon rupture injury in 2019, remains one of the league's most dominant offensive players, and maximizing his value is the most rewarding thing to do until the end of his career. But the question is, does Durant really believe in the Suns' direction, and if there are any doubts here, perhaps the two-time Finals MVP won't easily agree to a contract extension with the Suns right now. Similarly, from the Suns' perspective, if they are also skeptical about Durant's long-term form, they may also delay offering Durant this type of contract extension.
Ultimately, after a disastrous season, the easiest way to keep everyone happy and moving forward is to offer Durant a contract extension that is close to $60 million a year as soon as possible. This is the first time that the team's new owner, Ishbia, and Suns management have had the opportunity to show Durant how much they value him.
One of the biggest reasons the Suns have lost this season is that they have faced inconsistencies on offense every game. According to The Athletic, there have been many instances this season where Durant has been underplayed on offense, which has frustrated him, and he has had ongoing problems adapting to Booker and Beal's offense, preventing him from playing to his strengths.
But then again, a lineup led by three superstars should never be swept in the first round of the playoffs. While there were several factors that contributed to the Suns' inability to win against the Timberwolves, Vogel also had an inescapable responsibility. Whether or not this means that the Suns are about to change their head coach will depend on the outcome of discussions between owner Ishbia, general manager Jones and the entire management. According to sources, these conversations about Vogel could also extend to the team's three stars, with Durant, Booker and Beal all having their say on how the team's morale and feel will be under Vogel.
Last summer, the Suns offered Vogel a five-year, $31 million contract. The Suns value his success in leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a championship, and Vogel is also a defensive coach, which is something that the Suns urgently need to improve, so on paper, Vogel is indeed a good fit to coach this Suns team.
While Suns management is discussing Vogel's future, their approach to Vogel may be completely different from the Los Angeles Lakers' approach to head coach Darvin Ham. Despite his teams all being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, Ham is not expected to continue as the Lakers' head coach next season, according to reports, but Vogel's future will largely depend on how the team perceives his leadership abilities.
Actually throughout the 2023-24 season, Vogel has been expressing to management his desire to make changes to the roster, insisting on adding a true point guard to the roster, according to Turner Sports reporter Chris Haynes. But the proposal was rejected by management, because from management's perspective, this type of change would take the ball out of the hands of three stars on the team, a risk that the Suns were unwilling to take. This incident also reflects a problem from the side, that is, the Suns management did not give Vogel enough respect, at least he could not intervene in the team's recruitment and roster building.
It's no secret that Ishbia is still a fan of Vogel, and because of that relationship, Vogel was very confident when talking to reporters about his job security ahead of the fourth game loss on Monday: "I'm very confident that I'll continue to coach the Suns next season, and I have the full support of the team's owner, Ishbia."
In addition to making decisions about Vogel's future, the Suns face a huge luxury tax and a shortage of future assets as they head into the offseason. Whatever Ishbia and Suns management decide to do will have a direct impact on Durant's future with the team, and I think the likelihood of Vogel continuing to coach the Suns next season is still very high.