Opinion: Are the Phoenix Suns the worst super team in NBA history?

Out of all 30 teams in the NBA, 29 are either in the Playoffs, the Play-in, or the Draft Lottery.

The Phoenix Suns are the lone exception.

Just four years ago, this same organization represented the Western Conference in the NBA finals. Led by Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, surrounded by young depth pieces such as Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson, Phoenix looked like a force in the league for years to come.

Flash forward to 2025, and the Suns have the second-highest paid roster in the league, just fired Mike Budenholzer after only one season and likely could be trading Kevin Durant this offseason.

This level of collapse is unprecedented. Recent events have been so bad that it begs the question: Are the Phoenix Suns, led by Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal the worst attempt at a super team in NBA history?

In terms of immediate results, it absolutely seems that way.

In the offseason before the 2024 season, the Suns emptied the vault to trade for Bradley Beal, sending Chris Paul and Landry Shamet to the Wizards.

If those were the only terms to the deal, this wouldn’t be a discussion. However, the deal included first-round pick swaps in 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030, as well as second-round picks in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2030.

This deal gutted Phoenix’s future in the pursuit of short-term success. This pursuit was a failure, as the Suns got swept in the first round of the 2024 playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves before missing the postseason entirely in 2025 with just 36 wins.

Compared to past failed super teams, these results have seen the biggest disparity between talent and results.

The 2014 Brooklyn Nets are widely considered one of the worst super teams ever, but even they won 44 games and a playoff series led by Paul Pierce, Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett and Joe Johnson.

The 2013 Los Angeles Lakers, headlined by Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, disappointed mightily by getting swept by the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

However, Nash missed 32 games due to injury, and this season proved to be the beginning of the end of Bryant’s illustrious prime.

Even the 2021 Brooklyn Nets with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden are seen as a disappointment, mainly due to their unknown potential.

This squad took the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks to seven games in the Eastern Conference semis despite lingering injuries to both Irving and Harden.

While the Suns “Big Three” had on and off injuries between Beal and Durant, they were nothing spectacular when they were all on the court. All three players thrive with the ball in their hands, and with only one to go around, they didn’t light up the scoreboard.

Their team defense was even worse, posting the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league this past season. While none of Phoenix’s stars are great defenders, they were crippled by an overall lack of depth.

While the on-court product is the worst we’ve seen from a “super team,” another aspect to this underachieving team remains to be seen.

Part of what makes roster construction a failure is what was lost to do so. One of the main reasons why the ‘14 Nets fit this category is because two of the picks they traded for Pierce and Garnett turned into Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, a championship-winning duo.

Even the ‘13 Lakers and ‘21 Nets fit here for different reasons. When Dwight Howard left LA after their playoff loss, he still had successful years with Houston and Charlotte.

When the Nets tore down their tandem after 2021, all three of Irving, Harden and Durant had great seasons with their new teams.

The Suns gave up an incredulous number of draft picks for Beal, and if they turn into great players, it will only be salt in the wound for what Phoenix could have been.

If Kevin Durant is traded this offseason, it will surely spell a reset in the Valley. Not only that, but it will punctuate what has been the worst super team in NBA history.

Brendan Kern is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email bwk5372@psu.edu.