The 2024-25 NBA season isn’t how the Phoenix Suns imagined as they continue to struggle and find their rhythm with their Big 3 of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. They have a 19-20 record and are 11th in the Western Conference. Based on what they’ve displayed this season, former Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas mentioned them as the “most disappointing team” in the league.
“Most disappointing? Yeah,” Arenas said about the Suns. “You got two first-ballot Hall of Famers. Beal, depending how he finishes his career, is going to be a first-ballot, if not, he’s going to be a second-ballot or third-ballot. But you have three guaranteed Hall of Famers on your team, that still is a high-level players.
“Even with the people they have around them, they should still be able to go out there and smack on people. So, yes. That team is failing… They got all the attributes.”
The Suns have been a disappointment this season 📉 pic.twitter.com/uHRViyvAoW
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) January 16, 2025
Over the summer, the Suns addressed their needs and problems. They fired Frank Vogel as head coach and replaced him with Arizona native Mike Budenholzer. Phoenix also addressed their point guard situation and signed Tyus Jones and Monte Morris during free agency. In the draft, they found gems in Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro.
In the regular season, they’ve adjusted their lineup by moving Jusuf Nurkic to the bench in favor of veteran center Mason Plumlee. The Suns also moved Beal, an All-Star, to the bench as they needed an offensive contributor to lead the second unit.
Despite their moves, the Phoenix Suns have continued to encounter problems.
The Phoenix Suns look to make a push after their recent roster move
According to John Gambadoro on Wednesday, the Phoenix Suns traded Josh Okogie and three second-round picks for Nick Richards of the Charlotte Hornets and a second-round pick. Gambadoro reported via X (formerly Twitter), that Richards is expected to take over the starting center position for the Suns.
With this move, Phoenix now has a center that can play above the rim on both ends. Richards can finish well inside the paint by catching lobs. Defensively, he’s a more agile defender than Nurkic, who could be traded this season. Additionally, the Suns will absorb the team-friendly contract of the former Hornets big man.
Richards has a three-year, $15 million deal and has a non-guaranteed contract next season. The Suns look to make a late-season push after acquiring the big man.
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Follow me on X at @BarbecueBro, and follow us at @HardwoodHeroics and @GridironHeroics. You can also reach out to Reign Amurao via email at reignamuraonba@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
