Suns clear Durant-Beal era as Booker extension anchors youth rebuild

The Phoenix Suns have entered a clear reset after a turbulent 2024-25 season, moving on from Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, reaffirming Devin Booker as the franchise cornerstone with a major extension, and reshaping the roster around a younger, more athletic core. Owner Mat Ishbia has acknowledged mistakes in the team-building approach that produced a high-profile but unproductive era, and the organization is pursuing a more defined culture under new coach Jordan Ott as it retools for the coming seasons.

The front office shipped Durant to the Houston Rockets and facilitated Beal's departure via a buyout, ending the Suns' recent experiment with a star-laden roster. In return Phoenix acquired young guard Jalen Green, veteran Dillon Brooks and 7-footer Khaman Maluach in the Durant transaction, added center Mark Williams from Charlotte, and selected second-round prospects Koby Brea and Rasheer Fleming in the 2025 draft. The moves signal a pivot toward youth and development even as the team retained experience in role players such as Grayson Allen and center Nick Richards.

Ishbia has publicly conceded errors in constructing the previous roster and questioned his own early strategy....