Do you know what a disaster looks like? Turn your eyes towards the Phoenix Suns. No, for once, this isn’t about their heartbreaking 2024-25 season. Instead, a bigger storm seems to be brewing with their finances and Kevin Durant. You see, the franchise had dreamed of building a team that would help them win a championship. Of course, KD was the centerpiece, along with Devin Booker. But did the plan succeed? No.

And now, as the ongoing season enters its final stages, the Suns find themselves evicted from the Playoffs. However, if recent reports and rumors are true, the 15x All-Star is actively considering signing a $122 million extension with the team. This simply means more trouble for Phoenix, but how?

On First Take, Brian Windhorst didn’t mince words when he said, “The team that they put together didn’t work. But it’s what they did to put the team together, which is take a beautiful thing that they were building, explode that.” The Suns had a good balance until they traded Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and a few others to Brooklyn for KD.  “And take something that they’re really, really good at—which is drafting—and explode their ability to do it to fix it. And then you can look at the fact that this payroll with taxes is $400 million. Four hundred million. It’s the highest payroll we’ve ever seen, and it’s a complete failure.”

So, what’s the solution for Mat Ishbia ahead? Give up on Kevin Durant? Send him away or let him walk away? Well, according to Windy, the Suns should follow what the LA Clippers did with Paul George. “When you look at this Kevin Durant trade, they’re going to have to seriously consider trading Kevin Durant for flexibility.” This is a new concept for the league that many don’t understand. But trading for financial flexibility is the new normal. “They’re going to probably have to seriously consider trading Kevin Durant to get out of jail. Meaning, get out of the second apron. Get their ability to maneuver and fix their roster,” Windy added.

Well, it surely looks like Phoenix doesn’t have the means to mess with their roster. The reason? No flexibility in their finances. So, should they really learn from the Clippers? According to Brian Windhorst, LA has been one of the most successful teams of 2024–25. “The LA Clippers traded Paul George for flexibility. You will say to me, ‘They didn’t even trade Paul George. They let Paul George walk away. There was no trade involved there,'” Windy said. “Yes, there was. They could have traded Paul George to the Warriors. They could have signed and traded him somewhere else.”

But what did they do instead? “They said, ‘We can’t be in the second apron anymore. The only way that we can fix our team is by getting flexibility back.’ And so they told Paul George, ‘Thank you and good luck to you.’ They rebuilt their roster and retrofitted their roster around the stars that they still had with better fitting pieces using the flexibility.” This is the lesson the ESPN veteran wants the Suns to learn from the Clippers. Let go of Kevin Durant if they want to go below the second apron and rebuild a team.

And while KD’s future once again becomes the hottest topic of conversation in the basketball world, his teammate Devin Booker made some waves. The 28-year-old point guard has cleared his take on the upcoming days he’s about to spend with the franchise.

Amidst Kevin Durant’s fuming trade discussion, Devin Booker opens up about his future stance

The Suns are struggling at $25 million above the second apron. There is no doubt that they need to tread carefully through the offseason trades. However, their superstar, Devin Booker, who looked upset after losing to the OKC Thunder on Wednesday, has already cleared his future stance. Of course, being evicted from the Playoffs was the last thing he would’ve wanted. But, here we are!

D-Book confessed: “I don’t think I shot the ball well this year. Just win games at all costs, try and empower my will on the other team…being a leader, using my voice more. Pretty much everything when you fall this short.” The Suns veteran wants to take on more responsibility in the coming season and be more present for the team. In the 2024-25 season, Booker averaged 25.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.1 assists. With a 45.9 FG%, the star did fairly well. But in the end, nothing was enough.

So now, the Phoenix Suns are caught in their own storm—financially shackled and strategically cornered. While Kevin Durant‘s uncertain future looms large, Devin Booker is prepared to carry the torch. Yet, unless the franchise chooses the path of flexibility, echoes of failure may only grow louder. Change isn’t optional anymore—it’s a means to survival.