1 week Ago By Reyna Stanley, Burn City Sports
PHOENIX — From Steve Nash to Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns have boasted elite talent at the top. But year after year, era after era, the same pattern plays out: misfires on the margins, questionable trades, and role players who don’t deliver. In the last two decades, the Suns’ front office has struggled to build consistent, complementary depth around its stars.
The 2000s “Seven Seconds or Less” teams were electric, yet lacked the size and defense needed to beat playoff bruisers like the Spurs. Instead of bolstering the roster, Phoenix famously traded away first-round picks — including a chance at players like Rajon Rondo and Luol Deng — in cost-cutting moves that left the bench shallow. When the Suns finally made the 2021 NBA Finals with Booker and Chris Paul , it felt like a turning point.
But instead of reinforcing the foundation, the front office let key glue guys walk — like Jevon Carter, Jae Crowder, and Torrey Craig — while taking big swings that backfired. Trading for Bradley Beal in 2023 while already lacking bench depth and defensive versatility has left the current roster lopsided and inflexible. This season’s eight-game losing streak and lack of identity only reinforce a deeper issue: a top-heavy roster without reliable, consistent contributors in the margins.
The Suns have surrounded their Big Three with a mix of veteran stopgaps and unproven youth, but few have emerged as true difference-makers. Grayson Allen had a strong shooting season but is set for a major raise. New additions like Monte Morris, Royce O’Neale, and Mason Plumlee offer experience, but none are long-term solutions.
Players like Cody Martin, Tyus Jones, and Vasilije Micić have yet to establish a consistent role. Meanwhile, promising names such as Ryan Dunn, Jalen Bridges, and Oso Ighodaro are either rookies or untested at the NBA level. Draft capital is limited, cap space is virtually nonexistent, and the Suns remain hard-capped and over the luxury tax.
While other contenders have built with balance, Phoenix continues to prioritize star power over sustainable roster depth — a gamble that has yet to pay off. Phoenix fans have seen this movie too many times. And while stars come and go — or, in Booker’s case, stay loyal — the front office’s inability to build a functional supporting cast remains one of the franchise’s most damning trends.
Now entering a pivotal offseason, the Suns are at a crossroads. Fans want answers. A frustrated core.
A new owner still chasing a title. If Phoenix can’t finally crack the code on building around stars with smart, tough, dependable pieces, the curse of the supporting cast will live on — and so will the championship drought. This article first appeared on Burn City Sports and was syndicated with permission.
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