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The Phoenix Suns’ chances of vaulting to the top of the tightly-contested Western Conference have greatly improved since the Kevin Durant trade. Phoenix’s four-man group of Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton is arguably the best in the West.
TNT analyst Charles Barkley, however, is still very cautious despite the blockbuster trade that netted the biggest name among the traded superstars. Here’s what the NBA legend had to say about the new-look Suns:
“The West is so good now, you’re going to need a good bench. You can’t go to war with just KD, Booker, and Ayton. The West is so loaded. If they play the Clippers, the Lakers now, haven’t even mentioned Memphis. Your bench is gonna be really, really important.
“They’re gonna have to go get some big bodies. Cam Payne is a small guy, TJ Warren is a smaller guy, he’s about 6'6", 6'7". … They gave up a lot. Our starting unit, we’re good to go. But to win three series just to get to the Finals, your bench is gonna be huge.’’
Durant, Booker, Ayton and Paul will be no-brainers in head coach Monty Wiliams’ starting unit. Phoenix could add TJ Warren or Torrey Craig to form one of the best fives in the NBA. The bench, however, has become a little shallow.
Damion Lee, Cam Payne, Landry Shamet, Josh Okogie, Bismack Biyombo and Darius Bazley are the names on the Suns’ bench. These guys will have to play quality minutes, particularly against the more complete teams in the postseason.
The LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and even the Golden State Warriors are deeper than the Suns right now. It would be quite a feat for them to go through a gauntlet of these teams without big-time contributions from the bench on both ends of the floor.
The Phoenix Suns couldn’t pass up the opportunity to land Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant named the Phoenix Suns as one of his preferred destinations when he demanded a trade in the offseason. Phoenix was rumored to be willing to include Deandre Ayton, Cam Johnson and picks in that offer.
After Kyrie Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, the Suns again inquired about Durant’s availability. Instead of Ayton being the center of the package, they were rumored to have put Chris Paul as the main piece of a potential deal.
In the end, the Suns got to keep both Ayton and Paul. Losing Mikal Bridges was huge, but to get Kevin Durant, they would have to pay a price. Phoenix will feel like it has won the trade as the team aims to win a championship.
The Suns could still look to acquire players from the buyout market to reinforce the squad. There are intriguing names that could sign for a minimum after all the trade hoopla has died down. Reggie Jackson, according to Chris Haynes, is a name that could help Phoenix.
The Suns have already landed Kevin Durant, the biggest fish they have salivated after for some time already. Constructing a better supporting cast will be their next job.
