PHOENIX — The 2024-25 Phoenix Suns certainly aren’t in the upper echelon of title contenders heading into the season like the previous three, but it’s not without a lack of trying.
Among the top 10 salaries of the 24-25 season, three of them are members of the Suns: Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker.
Booker is entering the first year of a four-year, $224 million contract extension he originally signed in July 2022, while Durant and Beal have two to three seasons remaining on max deals signed in 2021-22, respectively.
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The Suns are one of only two teams to have multiple representatives here, joining the Philadelphia 76ers, signifying the overall shift in roster-building philosophy with the introduction of the “apron” system under the new CBA.
Durant and Booker are obvious choices. They are among the top 12 basketball players in the world and among the most sought after. Both are top players – and always will be, as long as they continue to play.
On the other hand, the addition of Beal can certainly be criticized, but this level of investment in the team stands in stark contrast to the previous regime, which frequently sought to cut costs whenever possible.
Beal may not be the player he once was, but the process behind the trade and everything imaginable to keep Booker happy going forward are the two major elements that should be considered here.
