Analyst: Suns Should Split Star Trio

A summer of wholesale changes is upon the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns experienced a well-documented collapse after beginning the 2024-25 season with a 9-2 record.

A myriad of factors contributed to the nightmare season, but the end result is all the same - changes are inevitable.

Tim Legler of ESPN gave some very pointed opinions on the state of the Suns and the self-described "big three" on a conference call for the network's alternative broadcast that is set to begin with the Western Conference Finals

Per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic:

“To me, I think this has run its course," Legler said when referring to the star-laden experiment the franchise put forth in June 2023.

“I don’t think the results have been anything that they expected."

The Suns were considered a top-tier contender ahead of the 2023-24 season after acquiring Bradley Beal to surround Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

Phoenix was a quick playoff exit a year ago despite finishing the year with 49 victories - a five win improvement from the 2022-23 season.

That didn't matter - changes were made due to the flameout that many would describe as humiliating.

That entailed a change at head coach - Frank Vogel was out after one year and Mike Budenholzer was handed a contract that was reportedly for five years, $50 million.

The latter didn't make it beyond one year either.

“They went out and hired two coaches with a lot of NBA experience, both of whom have won championships in this league, and they gave them each one year to try to sort through that," Legler continued.

Vogel and Budenholzer both bore a significant amount of criticism - although some of it could have been earned, Legler believes that the roster construction could have been the main culprit when it came to the last two seasons.

Legler does have a point - the optics point to the onus being put on the coach more than any other faction of the organization.

Although neither were perfect, they did bring title pedigree to the Valley and were arguably set up to underachieve with an imbalanced roster coupled with sky-high expectations.

“I think maybe the mix isn’t necessarily the best amongst those guys. When you’ve had the level of underachievement that they’ve had over the last couple of years, I think you start to look, 'OK, let’s approach this differently.' That would be my approach for Brian Gregory.”

The different approach was clear in Gregory's introductory press conference last week - Phoenix will very likely look to hire a coach unlike the predecessors, while Durant and Beal will both likely find new homes ahead of next season.

The one constant in the fray is Booker. The franchise player will look to remedy the one-year playoff absence next April with a potentially remade roster around him.