Devin Booker’s camp fires back at Stephen A. Smith’s Knicks claim

It’s going to be a long and possibly transformative offseason for the Phoenix Suns, who became the first team to be eliminated from the 2024 NBA Playoffs on Sunday. The one-sided series sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves seemingly shined a spotlight on Phoenix’s issues, which are hardly simple to resolve.

Last year, the Suns pushed the Denver Nuggets, the eventual NBA champions, to six games in the second round despite relatively little time for Devin Booker, Chris Paul, DeAndre Ayton, and new acquisition Kevin Durant to gel. In the offseason, new Suns owner Mat Ishbia greenlighted a trade with the Washington Wizards to bring in Bradley Beal and send out Paul and a trove of first-round pick swaps and second-round selections.

The addition of Beal, despite being much younger and generally considered a better player than Paul at this point, did little to solve some of the problems the Suns had encountered in playoff exits against the Dallas Mavericks in 2022 and Nuggets in 2023. In part, bad luck could partly be to blame for some of the woes this season; injuries kept Beal out for 24 of the first 30 games, and even after returning, Durant and Booker struggled with their health, limiting the trio’s playing time together.

After earning the No. 6 seed in the playoffs, the Suns met the Timberwolves in the first round. What appeared to be a favorable matchup for the Suns — they swept Minnesota in the regular season — turned into a nightmare for Phoenix. The Wolves’ stifling defense largely suffocated the Suns’ offensive firepower as no Phoenix player other than Booker, Durant, and Beal averaged more than 8 points per game in the series.

Following three decisive defeats, Booker and Durant did everything they could to extend the series at least one game. Booker, who had struggled to that point, exploded for 49 points, while Durant scored 33. However, no other member of the Suns reached double figures, including Beal, who went 4-13 from the field, 1-5 from three, and fouled out in a nine-point, six-turnover performance.

What the Suns decide to do this offseason remains to be seen, but a few trades seem inevitable and even a coaching change seems possible. But as long as Booker is committed, Phoenix is better off than most other teams still searching for a star.