The Phoenix Suns’ Big Three—Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal—were supposed to be the NBA’s next superteam. In 2023, the Suns shelled out over $150 million in combined salary to assemble this trio, dreaming of playoff glory. Spoiler: they got swept in the first round of the 2024 playoffs by the Timberwolves, 4-0. Fast forward to February 27, 2025, and the Suns sit at 27-31, 11th in the West, clinging to Play-In hopes like a kid holding a balloon in a windstorm. For fans who chart plus-minus like it’s the stock market, this is a grim lesson: cash doesn’t dunk, and chemistry isn’t a line item. Let’s break down why $150 million bought a flop then—and why it’s still flopping now.
The 2024 Playoff Disaster: A Recap
Last April, the Suns rolled into the playoffs with a 49-33 record, sixth in the West. On paper, Durant (27.1 PPG), Booker (27.1 PPG), and Beal (18.2 PPG) screamed firepower. In reality? Minnesota ate them alive. The Suns shot 49% from the field but got outrebounded 44-37 per game and coughed up 15 turnovers a night—third-worst in the postseason. Durant’s 26.8 playoff points couldn’t mask the lack of a real point guard (sorry, Beal), and their defense ranked 11th among 16 playoff teams (112.9 defensive rating). The Wolves’ length and hustle turned Phoenix’s Big Three into a Big Oops. Four games, zero wins, $150 million down the drain.
2025: Same Price Tag, Same Problems
Today, the Suns are 27-31 with 24 games left, per Tankathon, facing the league’s toughest remaining schedule. Durant’s still a scoring machine (23.2 PPG over his last 20 games), Booker’s dropping 26.2 PPG this season, and Beal’s back in the lineup after a January benching. So why are they three games under .500? Rebounds: 27th in the NBA (41.2 per game). Turnovers: 18th (14.5 per game). Defense: 19th (115.8 rating). Sound familiar? The 2024 playoff flaws—no size, no playmaking, no grit—still haunt them. Adding Tyus Jones this offseason was supposed to fix the point guard hole, but he’s averaging 7.2 assists on a team that looks like it’s passing a hot potato nobody wants.
The Funny Part: $150M for a Participation Trophy
Imagine spending $150 million on a supercar, only to crash it into a ditch because you forgot to buy tires. That’s the Suns. Durant’s out there hitting fadeaways over double-teams, Booker’s cooking from midrange, and Beal’s… well, he’s trying. But when your Big Three’s supporting cast includes Jusuf Nurkic rebounding like he’s allergic to the glass (8.2 RPG), it’s no shock they’re losing to teams with pulse. Posts on X call it: fans say the Suns “can’t stand each other,” and Vegas has them covering the spread just twice in their last ten games. At this rate, their $150 million trio might not even snag a Play-In spot—forget a playoff run.
The Nerdy Nugget
Compare this to the 2017 Warriors: Durant, Curry, and Thompson combined for $65 million in salary and a 16-1 playoff romp. Phoenix’s Big Three cost 2.3 times more and delivered a 0-4 faceplant in ‘24. This year, their net rating (+0.8) is worse than the 10th-place Lakers (+1.7). Money buys talent, but not a team—Phoenix missed that memo.
What Now?
The Suns can still climb to sixth—they’re 4.5 games back with a quarter of the season left. But with Durant trade rumors swirling (ESPN’s Brian Windhorst says he’s gone this summer), and no draft picks to fix the roster, it’s bleak. Maybe they should’ve spent $150 million on a time machine to redo 2023. For now, the Big Three’s legacy is a pricey punchline: all that cash, and they’re still chasing the Raptors in the loss column.
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