The Phoenix Suns are drowning in one of the NBA’s most toxic financial situations. With Kevin Durant traded away and Bradley Beal heading for a buyout, the franchise faces years of salary cap hell that has analysts calling it one of the worst predicaments in league history.
The Suns sit trapped in the second apron tax bracket, facing severe penalties including trade restrictions and limited roster-building options. Their desperate attempts to shed salary have left them scrambling to offload significant contracts just to stay afloat. And worst of all, they don’t fully control any of their own first-round picks until 2032.
Why Are Analysts Calling This the Suns’ Bleakest Situation?
NBA analysts Ryen Russillo and Bill Simmons recently tore into the Phoenix Suns organization and owner Mat Ishbia while discussing the franchise’s bleak future following Kevin Durant’s departure to the Houston Rockets.
“I don’t see any path forward.”@BillSimmons and @ryenarussillo discuss whether the Suns have the bleakest outlook in the West. pic.twitter.com/cLoQELBGqF
— The Ringer (@ringer) July 7, 2025
Simmons painted a devastating picture of Phoenix’s future. “All of their picks are gone or swapped until 2031, they have Booker locked down, they’re going to buy Beal out, Jalen Green three years for $105 million, they’re gonna be a lottery team, without a pick, I don’t see any path forward,” he explained.
However, Russillo found one silver lining in the chaos. Having Devin Booker locked down for the next few years provides some stability. According to contract reports from Sportrac, Booker signed a four-year, $220,441,984 contract that keeps him with the Suns through the 2027-28 season.
“I don’t think it’s that bad, you still have Booker in his prime, he’s better than anyone on Utah, he’s better than anybody on Portland, on New Orleans, the only argument you have here is Booker’s talent level, surrounded by no options,” Russillo explained.
Can Devin Booker Carry This Franchise Alone?
During the 2024-25 season, Booker served as Phoenix’s cornerstone, entering the history books as their all-time leading scorer while averaging 25.6 points and 7.1 assists. Despite his stellar performance, many, including his former teammate Kevin Durant, felt he was snubbed from All-Star consideration.
“If you don’t follow his game, you won’t get much from him. Unfortunately, that’s the nature of our game. I wish it weren’t so political, but we all know he’s an All-Star and MVP caliber player. Hall of Fame type of player,” Durant claimed.
The current mess stems from the Suns’ aggressive moves in the summer of 2023. Phoenix traded for both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, hoping to create a championship-caliber big three alongside Booker. Instead, the experiment failed spectacularly, with the team unable to make it past the second round of the playoffs in three years.
Now the franchise is paying the price for those ambitious moves. They remain stuck in the second apron tax bracket, facing significant penalties and trade restrictions that severely limit their ability to improve around Booker.
With a Bradley Beal buyout being imminent, per a source, I’m anticipating he gives up $13.9M of his remaining $110.8M, which would then clear the way for the Suns to waive-and-stretch the resulting $96.9M over 5 years and duck both tax aprons
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) July 7, 2025
The Beal situation highlights just how desperate Phoenix has become.
“Because of a quirk in the collective bargaining agreement, Beal, who has $110.8 million and two years remaining on his contract, must give back at least $13.8 million for the Suns to be allowed to stretch him,” Fred Katz explains in The Athletic.
Even if the Beal buyout goes through and keeps Phoenix out of the second apron, the damage is already done. The Suns would still carry a dead cap hit of $19.4 million on their books every season through 2029-30, severely limiting their flexibility.
The situation in Phoenix truly appears as bleak as the analysts described. With no draft picks, ongoing financial struggles, and the need to offload their remaining stars, the Suns find themselves completely dependent on one player. This combination of factors creates what may indeed be one of the worst situations any NBA franchise has faced in recent memory.
