Phoenix Suns’ Roster Changes Aren’t as Bad as Grades Suggest

The Phoenix Suns were *the* team to keep an eye on entering the offseason.

Fresh off a 36-46 season, it made sense. Kevin Durant was likely to be traded. Bradley Beal had a unique situation that needed to be resolved.

The Suns struck a trade, sending Durant to the Houston Rockets, returning Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (Khaman Maluach) and five second-round picks. They also stretched and waived Beal's contract.

On paper, the Suns losing talents like Durant and Beal really, really hurt. Durant is a 15-time All-Star, former MVP and two-time champion who will go down as one of the most iconic NBA players of all time. Beal is a multi-time All-Star who has enjoyed quite an incredible career.

Phoenix added Green, who is a young potential star. Brooks adds depth. Maluach provides a young center option for years to come. The team even acquired Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets within minutes of drafting Maluach.

To ESPN, the Suns had an average offseason, receiving a "C+" grade. Yahoo Sports agrees with this sentiment, as they gave the club a "C" grade for their moves.

Evidently, their offseason should receive at least a B grade. When grading a team's offseason moves, they can't be taken at face value. Did the Suns recoup value that Durant and Beal should have received based on name alone? No.

However, given where Phoenix was as a franchise, the moves were needed. The relationship with Durant had gone sour and a trade was inevitable to kick off a new era building around Devin Booker. Landing Green and Brooks address two things: star power and depth.

Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr — Mar 30, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) and Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) fight for position in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Green will now have a chance to blossom into the star he has the potential to become, while Brooks is a true role player with plenty of value. For Phoenix, this is good for building around Booker. Adding Maluach brings center depth and a potential long-term solution at the position. Last season, the center position was a massive hole within the roster.

Each of the three additions makes sense for the Suns. They were good acquisitions when factoring in the team's previous weaknesses and long-term outlook.

Waiving Beal might handicap the team financially for five years with dead salary cap weight being taken. It was clear the two sides needed to part ways, and Phoenix now gets to dodge the second apron because of their decision.

It's hard to imagine this team takes a hard pivot to a contending level in the next five years -- and it's unlikely that Beal's dead salary cap is what holds the Suns back from achieving that level as a team.

Booker will stay in a competitive situaiton with his homegrown team through his prime, too.

Oh, and the Suns are coming off a 36-win season. That much can't be forgotten. The team addressed real roster issues. It was a productive offseason, all things considered. And everything needs to be considered when dishing out grades.

Sure, Phoenix got rid of two big names in the NBA world. They also made positive moves for the short- and long-term of the franchise.