Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Suns front office 'can feel' Kevin Durant's frustrations

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 12/27/23

The Phoenix Suns currently sit 11th in the Western Conference. Bradley Beal's consistent absence from the rotation has seriously hindered the team's plans. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski , who was speaking on Monday's episode of "NBA Countdown," the Suns front office can "feel" Kevin Durant's frustrations with the current situation.

"You talk to people in Phoenix and around that organization," Wojnarowski said. "They can feel the frustration with Durant. Part of that is the missed games with Bradley Beal. This team was built around those three stars. The underwhelming supporting cast, that comes from those massive trades for Durant and Beal, which gutted that organization...This is something they're going to have to manage in Phoenix with Kevin Durant. You've seen it before, and it's a stark reminder of how short of a window and how this team has to win big, and win big quickly."

Durant joined the Suns at the February trade deadline. Since then, the front office has done whatever they can to provide him with a championship-caliber roster. However, in its pursuit of star talent, it has left itself short of quality throughout the rest of the rotation.

Phoenix can't afford for Durant to become disillusioned with the Suns franchise. It gave up too much to acquire him and doubled down with the moves they made during the offseason. Even at 35 years old, Durant is still a top-10 player in the NBA and arguably the most talented scorer. He can still choose where he wants to play should he decide the Suns can't match his ambitions in the coming seasons.

Adding a third star in Beal was always going to be a risk. A "Big Three" has often been viewed as a blueprint, however, that has rarely succeeded in the NBA. Phoenix would have been better served adding depth to their bench rotation rather than pursuing Beal. Hindsight is 20/20, though. All the Suns can do now is try to figure things out and get their season back on track. Otherwise, Durant could be looking for another new team in the not-too-distant future.

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