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The 2024-25 season is winding down for the Phoenix Suns.
A little over a week and six games remain in the season that has turned into a worst-case scenario for a franchise that has been shooting to contend for most of the decade.
The gradual decline of on-court product has left the front office scrambling for potential solutions to keep the franchise out of a long-term rebuild.
Some questions surrounding the team over the next several months - and tentative answers to come with it:
Suns Will Reach Play-In
The hope of the Suns sneaking into the playoffs hinges on the premise that Phoenix can sneak into the play-in field as the number 10 seed before winning two consecutive games to secure the number eight seed.
The Suns likely squandered the opportunity to hold the Dallas Mavericks off over the last month - and are now left trying to catch the Sacramento Kings, who are set to play the Charlotte Hornets tomorrow before playing a difficult final slate of games.
Despite losing to the Washington Wizards and going on a downward trajectory, the Kings still look to have a better chance to secure the final spot in the play-in - although it could come down to the final game of the season between the two on April 13.
Verdict: Sell
Beal Will be Traded by Suns This Summer
Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro reported yesterday that Kevin Durant is unlikely to be the only collateral damage associated with the massively disappointing outcomes of the last two seasons - Bradley Beal could be part of an exodus of the current roster.
The two complicating factors in the process of moving on from Beal are the no-trade clause the former All-NBA guard holds along with the maximum salary figure.
Beal's days in Phoenix appear to be numbered despite the roadblocks in place. Expect Beal to end up elsewhere over the summer... perhaps a reunion with the Wizards?
Verdict: Buy
Phoenix Will Hire New Head Coach for 2025-26
Mike Budenholzer has had a renowned career as both an assistant coach under the legendary Gregg Popovich and as a head coach - winning two Coach of the Year awards alongside an NBA championship in 2021.
It seemed as if coach Budenholzer would be with the franchise for the long haul after signing a five-year deal in May of last year.
Now, the Suns could be looking at a fourth coach in as many seasons come the beginning of the season in late September.
While certain principles have caught on for the most part - such as an uptick in three-point volume - the re seems to be a disconnect between coach and players still. The recent reports surrounding the state of the locker room seem to throw gas on the fire that many speculate is raging within the team.
It unfortunately doesn't feel sustainable to keep Budenholzer around - especially if Booker is indeed the franchise cornerstone.
Phoenix could very well have another head coach in place to lead the re-tooled version of the Suns next season.
Verdict: Buy, expect a younger coach with prior playing experience (Chauncey Billups, Jared Dudley, etc.)
Suns Could Reach Playoffs Next Season
The aforementioned reporting from Gambadoro yesterday seemed to point towards the Houston Rockets sending a package of Jalen Green, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., and draft picks to Phoenix in exchange for Durant.
If the front office is able to pull off a trade in that manner along with moving out of the second apron by trading Beal - it doesn't seem far-fetched that the Suns could find themselves back in the playoffs in 2026.
A look at a potential newly-shaped roster:
- Book er
- Green
- Eason
- O'Neale
- Smith Jr.
- Dunn
- Ighodaro
- Richards
- Kispert (Beal trade)
The rest of the roster can be rounded out via other trades/signings, but this is surely an awesome start when it comes to reshaping the roster in a more youthful and athletic fashion.
Verdict: Buy, the Suns can return to competitive status if the front office plays their cards correctly.
More must-reads:
- Malik Beasley no longer target of federal investigation
- Five NBA teams that aced the offseason
- The 'Second-leading receiver by NFL team' quiz
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Five NBA teams that aced the offseason
After an eventful offseason, the majority of the NBA is on vacation until training camp. So it's finally time to assess which teams aced their summers. Here are the five that did exactly what they were supposed to do: Houston Rockets Is it possible to have too many good players on a roster? Seriously, the Rockets probably have the deepest roster in the NBA after their incredible offseason that saw them trade for Kevin Durant without giving up any of their main core pieces or future draft capital, steal Dorian Finney-Smith from the Lakers, sign Clint Capela, sign Josh Okogie and re-sign Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet to reasonable extensions. After finishing with the fourth-best defensive rating in the league last season, they should be even more stout on that next season. So long as Durant stays relative healthy, and at least a few of their young studs like Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason make a leap, they should also significantly improve upon their 13th-rated offense. The Rockets made the jump from being a happy-to-be-there playoff team to a serious title contender. Denver Nuggets After a second consecutive second-round exit from the playoffs, the Nuggets went to work this summer on addressing their biggest issue: depth. Last season, the Nuggets were a plus-10.5 when Nikola Jokic was on the court and a negative-8.5 when he was off the court. Aiming to fix that, Denver traded sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr. for another great shooter with a better defensive reputation in Cameron Johnson. They also signed three legitimate rotation players in Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas, which should allow them to ease Jokic's burden, especially in the regular season. When you have the best player in the NBA, you should always be doing everything you can as a franchise to win a championship. The Nuggets had cut some corners in recent years, so this offseason should reinvigorate a title contender in Denver. Atlanta Hawks The Hawks have made four decisions this offseason that should bode well for them in the future. First, they acquired Kristaps Porzingis, giving them a legitimate stretch-5 who can perform on both ends in the playoffs (when healthy). Second, they acquired one of the best assets in the league — the Pelicans' unprotected 2026 first-round pick in a draft that is projected to have a handful of franchise players. Third, they signed the top three-and-D wing on the market, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and one of the top shooters on the market, Luke Kennard. Finally, they did not hand Trae Young a massive contract (yet, at least). Young is an excellent point guard and could opt out of his contract next summer, but if he's making the max, the team's ceiling is capped at Eastern Conference Finals contender due to his defense. If the Hawks can find a way to shave his deal down a little to give them more flexibility, then with some development of their young studs like Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels, they could be contenders before we realize it. Los Angeles Lakers What a difference a month can make. Early in free agency, the Lakers seemed to be at war with LeBron James, were rumored to be hesitant to make any big moves until the summer of 2027, weren't sure if Luka Doncic was going to sign an extension, lost Finney-Smith and hadn't signed any marquee free agents. Fast forward to this month, and the LeBron tension appears have have dissipated, Doncic signed a three-year extension and Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart were added to the team despite not being free agents when the summer began — both were bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards, respectively. That's about as good a summer as they could have hoped for given their limited cap flexibility and roster heading into free agency. Now comes the important part — what trade does Rob Pelinka do to round this very solid roster into a bona fide title contender? They're probably one three-and-D wing away from being able to match any team in the league in terms of high-end talent and depth. Orlando Magic The Magic kick-started the offseason during the NBA Finals by trading for the rugged, but sweet-shooting Desmond Bane. They gave up quite a lot (four first-round picks, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony), but Bane provides the elite shooting they've been desperately craving for years around Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Over the past four seasons, Bane has averaged 20.2 PPG, 5 RPG, 4.3 APG to go along with 47-41-89 shooting splits and is squarely in his prime at 27 years old. The Magic also capitalized on Michigan State star Jase Richardson's mini fall in the draft. The super crafty, way-less-athletic son of two-time dunk champion Jason Richardson has a whole lot of game and seems like an ideal off-guard to play with Banchero, Wagner and Bane. Don't be surprised if the Magic make a leap and are in the Eastern Conference Finals next spring.
Celtics Notes: Anfernee Simons Trade Update, Boston Urged to Sign All-Star, Jayson Tatum Gets Honest
Green Bay Packers: Luke Musgrave’s Wife’s Stunned Reaction to Jordan Love’s Wife’s Personal Post
The Green Bay Packers are about to kick off their 2025 NFL regular season, so it feels like a good time for some of the players to look back at some of the key moments and experiences they’ve had in the offseason. For quarterback Jordan Love and tight end Luke Musgrave, the 2025 NFL offseason will always be one that they’ll cherish — and not just because of anything that’s football-related. Love and Musgrave both got married to their respective longtime girlfriends in the offseason. The signal-caller tied the knot with Ronika Stone in June, while Musgrave and Madi Weisner exchanged vows in July. Ronika Stone’s wedding lookback gets Green Bay tight end’s wife’s reactions Mrs. Love recently shared a post on Instagram that shows a series of snapshots from her wedding with the Packers’ signal caller. “Every detail was SPECTACULAR ,” Ronika wrote as a caption for the post. She clearly is still awed by how her wedding looked that day, with several beautiful flower arrangements adorning the special day. Ronika’s post drew plenty of comments, including one from Mrs. Musgrave, who wrote “UNREAL.” It’s great to see Packers players’ wives showing support for each other just as Love and Musgrave do on the field. For Musgrave, he is looking to have a big rebound in 2025 after only appearing in seven games and coming up with 45 receiving yards with zero touchdowns and only a couple of first downs on seven receptions and 10 targets. The Packers, who will play the Seattle Seahawks at home this Saturday for both teams’ 2025 NFL preseason finale, will face the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field in Week 1 of the 2025 regular season.
Dallas Stars lock up one of the league's best players with massive extension today in hockey history
Former Yankees Outfielder Rips Aaron Boone, Brian Cashman
The New York Yankees have been having a rough couple of months, losing their once-dominant lead of the AL East. Now, both Yankees manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman are on the receiving end of some tough words by a former player, outfielder Clint Frazier. Boone has been criticized by a number of analysts (not to mention Yankees fans) for lineup and mid-game moves that range from head-scratching to downright bizarre, especially for a team that has been having a hard time securing wins. Cashman has repeatedly defended Boone, arguing that is knowledge of the players' capabilities is driving his decisions. To Frazier, Cashman's defense of Boone is self-serving because Cashman is the person who is responsible for Boone's tenure as manager. “When Cashman comes out and gives support to Boone, lowkey, I kind of feel like that’s self-preservation,” Frazier said on his podcast. “I know his resume is insane, but when he gives the confidence boost to Boone, I was saying ‘he’s got to, because Booney is the frontline of defense for him. I brought this guy in, and I have to support him, because he’s my guy.' Boone is Cashman’s shadow a little bit." Frazier, who played for the Pinstripes from 2017 to 2021, went on to discuss the Yankees' playoff chances, criticizing Boone for his lineup and mid-game decisions, which he claims will impact the team negatively during the post-season. “You need to make sure that you aren’t walking into it with bad decisions, because these are the decisions they’ll be doing in the playoffs,” he said. “They’re going to be way more under the microscope in the playoffs... You’ve got to make sure that you’re buttoned up and ready to go. If you start firing from the hip, it becomes a mockery of what every guy is trying to do.” While the Yankees are doing better now than they were at the time of Frazier's comments, surpassing the Boston Red Sox for second place in the AL East and securing the top spot in the AL Wild Card standings, they still aren't consistent. For New York to secure a trip to the World Series for the second year in a row, they're going to have to play better, which requires Boone to make better decisions. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Yankees Have Advantage in Cody Bellinger Sweepstakes Former Yankees Pitchers Swap Places On NL Contender Hall of Famer Explains Leaving Red Sox for Yankees Mariano Rivera's Injury End of Yankees Old-Timer's Game? Four Yankees Among MLB's Top 25 Free Agents
Justin Verlander needs to listen to Father Time despite desire to keep pitching
San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander had another rough outing on Thursday. The future Hall of Famer allowed seven runs on seven hits and a walk over his 4.1 innings, striking out four as the Padres defeated the Giants 8-4. His outing ended a streak where Verlander had allowed one or fewer runs in four of his previous five outings. The 42-year-old Verlander has been inconsistent at best this season, posting a 4.64 ERA and a 1.437 WHIP over his 110.2 innings, striking out 99 batters with 37 walks. This follows an injury-plagued 2024 campaign where Verlander posted 5.48 ERA and a 1.384 WHIP in 90.1 innings. Verlander, meanwhile, insists that he is not done. John Shea of the San Francisco Standard reported that Verlander wants to pitch in 2026. That desire does have a caveat — if Verlander suffers a significant injury, he said he is not interested in a lengthy rehab process to get back on the mound. "The ball’s rolling in the right direction, and I would like to continue pitching. You never know. It’s a fickle game too, but I think the stuff is still there," Verlander said. Verlander had been a workhorse earlier in his career, pitching at least 180 innings in all but one season from 2006 through 2019. He came back from Tommy John surgery that cost him most of 2020 and all of the 2021 season, winning the AL Cy Young award with a major league-leading 1.75 ERA and a 0.829 WHIP over his 175 innings, striking out 185 batters with 25 walks in his age 39 season in 2022. Verlander is a nine-time All-Star, won three Cy Young awards and was named the 2011 AL MVP and the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year. Those innings have taken their toll on Verlander. He has battled injuries over the past few years and has been below replacement level since the start of 2024. While he may want to return in 2026, his body and performance are telling a different story.
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