Devin Booker

Pacific Notes: Butler, Booker, Clippers, Lakers

April 18th, 2025 at 5:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Although six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler has never won an NBA championship, he told Sam Amick of The Athletic this week that, as the playoffs get underway, he’s thinking more about getting a fifth title for two of his Warriors teammates than getting one for himself.

“Look, I’m not gonna say I’m not hungry, but I’m doing this for Steph (Curry),” Butler said. “I’m doing this for Dray (Draymond Green). I’m doing this for these guys. As much as I want to win a championship, I want Dray to win another one. I want Steph to win another one. I know I ain’t got mine yet, but they deserve it. They’ve been putting this city and this organization on their back for a very long time, and I’m glad that I can be here to try and do something special.”

The Warriors will enter the first round as the No. 7 seed, but they’re the solid betting favorites against the No. 2 Rockets, whose top players have far less postseason experience than Golden State’s stars. Given Curry’s and Green’s four championships – along with his own two NBA Finals appearances – Butler believes the Warriors’ veterans have a “target on their back” this spring, which he’s just fine with.

“I love having a target on my back,” Butler told Amick. “I think I’ve had it the last couple of years over in the East, and (the Warriors) are gonna always have it, until 30 (Curry) and 23 (Green) are gone out this motherf—er. They’re always gonna be the squad to beat. Everybody always fears them. Everybody always knows that they’re not out of any game, out of any series, and I love to be a part of it. I ain’t scared of nobody. You know me. I’m not scared of nobody. I know what I’m capable of.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

In the wake of reports stating that the Suns have no interest in trading Devin Booker, team owner Mat Ishbia reiterated that stance in his end-of-season media session, referring to the veteran guard as Phoenix’s “franchise player,” as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (Twitter video link). “I speak with him and we’re very aligned on what we want to do and what we’re gonna do,” Ishbia said. “And his mission and my mission are very similar: Let’s bring a championship to Phoenix. And he understands the vision.”
Following the offseason departure of Paul George, oddsmakers projected the Clippers to finish last in the Pacific and finish below .500 this season. Instead, the club won 50 games and claimed a top-five seed in a competitive Western Conference. “I think our group has been playing with a chip on its shoulders all year because of that (outside skepticism),” head coach Tyronn Lue said this week, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “We just found ways to win. We just found ways to win. No matter whose night it was, we just kind of featured that guy, played hard defensively and competed and we played together. … Being counted out and staying the course and playing with that chip on your shoulder all year long.”
How did the Lakers take a significant step forward on defense in the second half despite having traded away longtime anchor Anthony Davis? Ramona Shelburne of ESPN digs into that question, exploring how the acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith, the return of Jarred Vanderbilt, J.J. Redick‘s scheme, and improved communication have all factored into the team’s success on that end of the floor.

Suns’ Devin Booker Comments On Possible Extension

April 16th, 2025 at 7:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

Devin Booker has expressed a desire to spend his entire career with the Suns, and he can take a step toward doing that by signing another extension this summer, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. With the season just wrapping up, Booker said he hasn’t been focused on his financial future.

“I haven’t even thought about it to be honest,” he said. “It’s a great situation to be in, though. Longevity in this league. Every year you can get, somebody wants you for an extra year or two, that’s always a pleasure. You never know when the game is going to stop.”

Booker will be eligible for a two-year, maximum-salary extension that could be worth up to $149.8MM, and a report on Tuesday indicates the Suns are expected to make that offer. This season was just the first of his current four-year super-max deal, which will pay him $53.1MM in 2025-26, $57MM in 2026-27 and $61 MM in 2027-28. Adding two more years would take his contract into 2030 when he’ll be 33 years old.

“I’ve been in long enough where I’ve watched some of my heroes and idols just slowly get out of the league, and you see how it hurts them,” Booker added. “I don’t want to think about the day that I have to do that. It’s nice to be up for an extension.”

Booker is expected to be the one constant in an offseason shakeup in Phoenix. There’s intense trade speculation surrounding Kevin Durant, the team attempted to move Bradley Beal at the deadline and virtually everyone else is believed to be available as the Suns try to move below the second apron.

Last month, owner Matt Ishbia vowed that he would never consider trading Booker, calling the idea “silly.” He said Booker is the type of “superstar” that’s needed as the cornerstone of a championship contender.

Booker turned in another outstanding individual season, even though Phoenix fell far short of expectations. He played 75 games, the most in eight years, and averaged 25.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists per night. However, his shooting numbers fell sharply — to 46.1% from the field and 33.2% from three-point range — and he told Rankin that improving his efficiency will be an offseason priority.

“I’ll probably start open gym right after the season,” Booker said.

Suns Rumors: Budenholzer, Beal, Booker, Durant, Coaching Candidates

April 15th, 2025 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Detailing some of the issues that led to Mike Budenholzer‘s ouster in Phoenix, NBA insider Chris Haynes (YouTube link) reports that Budenholzer told Bradley Beal earlier in the season that he wanted him to play more like Jrue Holiday.

That was “not well-received” by the three-time All-Star, Haynes says, and Phoenix-based insider John Gambadoro confirms as much. According to Gambadoro (Twitter link), Beal responded by telling Budenholzer, “Don’t ever disrespect me like that. Don’t ever tell me to play like another player.”

Communication with his players was a recurring issue for Budenholzer in Phoenix, per Haynes, who says the veteran head coach also butted heads with Jusuf Nurkic by criticizing his screening ability and telling him he’s a “bad teammate.” Haynes previously reported that Budenholzer told Devin Booker to “tone it down vocally” during games and film sessions, which ESPN’s Brian Windhorst confirms.

Booker began speaking to reporters more late in the season about the importance of his “voice,” which was intentional, sources tell ESPN. As Windhorst explains, Booker appeared to be sending a message to a coach on his way out and making it clear he’ll have more say going forward.

“[I need] to be a leader and use my voice more,” Booker said last week. Asked if he was referring to speaking to teammates, coaches, or management, the star guard added, “Everybody.”

Here’s more out of Phoenix:

The Suns have privately acknowledged they made a mistake by not involving Kevin Durant and his manager/agent Rich Kleiman when they explored trade possibilities involving Durant prior to February’s deadline, Windhorst writes. The front office wanted to keep discussions closed like Dallas did with Luka Doncic, Windhorst explains, but word leaked after the Suns had to talk to possible third-team facilitators. All parties will be involved in that process during the offseason, with Kleiman planning to travel to Phoenix this week to have discussions with the Suns, sources tell ESPN.
While it may be a challenge for the Suns to find an appealing trade with a team willing to extend Durant, it’s possible there will be potential suitors who are OK with taking on the risk of acquiring the star forward as a one-year rental, says Windhorst. “Durant is a top-three name in this league,” a high-ranking NBA official told ESPN. “I can see a team who’d love to have him for a season just to sell tickets.”
Booker will be eligible this season for a two-year, maximum-salary extension and the expectation is that the Suns will put that offer on the table, sources tell ESPN. Windhorst refers to that potential deal – which would lock up Booker through 2029/30 – as being worth $149.8MM, but that’s just a projection for now, based on the cap increasing by the maximum 10% in each of the next four seasons.
After letting go of former head coach Monty Williams, Suns owner Mat Ishbia was “very focused” on hiring a replacement with a championship on his résumé, which was a major factor in the team choosing Frank Vogel in 2023 and Budenholzer in 2024, Windhorst writes. This time around, the team may prioritize a candidate who is better suited to build relationships with players, according to Windhorst, who hears from sources that Ishbia will be paying former Suns coaches about $18MM next season.
According to Haynes (YouTube link), the Suns are expected to “look into and evaluate” the following head coaching candidates as they decide who they want to try to interview: former Kings coach Mike Brown, current Pelicans coach Willie Green, Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant, Mavericks assistants Sean Sweeney and Jared Dudley, Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, their own assistant David Fizdale, and former Suns assistant (and current BYU head coach) Kevin Young. That may not be a comprehensive list of candidates for the job.
In a pair of stories for GoPHNX.com, Gerald Bourguet takes a closer look at why Budenholzer was fired and lists 10 potential candidates to replace him.

Pacific Notes: Booker, Lakers, Doncic, Butler, Curry

April 14th, 2025 at 6:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns’ disastrous season didn’t change Devin Booker‘s feelings about the organization. He wants to remain in Phoenix for years to come, he told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.

“I’ve spoke on it plenty of times,” Booker said. “I’m sure the people are sick of hearing my Phoenix love story, but I’m deeply rooting into this community. I take a lot of pride in it. We’ve built it from the ground up before. I didn’t think I’d be back in this situation, but it shows you how hard the league is. Once we get back to that championship level, I’ll be able to shed light on people that it can change very quickly.”

It seems unlikely Booker will be playing with both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal again next season. There’s heavy speculation that Durant will be traded and the front office will try to do something regarding Beal’s onerous contract. Booker has no issues with either player.

“I love playing with both of them,” Booker said. “Even the moments that we played together, they haven’t been to what we expected or wanted out of it, but good things do take some time to build and they take experience. We haven’t had a lot of that, but that’s not a good excuse to fall back on.”

Booker is eligible to sign a two-year, maximum-salary extension this offseason, even though he just completed the first year of his four-year super-max extension. He seems tempted to take it if it’s offered.

“I’ve been in long enough where I’ve watched some of my heroes and idols just slowly get out of the league, and you see how it hurts them,” he said. “I don’t want to think about the day that I have to do that. It’s nice to be up for an extension.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers‘ best source of information as they prepare for the Timberwolves in the opening round could be their superstar newcomer. Coach JJ Redick will consult with Luka Doncic, who led the Mavericks to a series win over Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals last season. “There are nuances to what teams are trying to do against certain opponents,” Redick said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The third-seeded Lakers will use their time off this week to heal up and gradually work on their game plan for the best-of-seven series. “It’s not necessarily going to be everything at once this week. We’ll have to slow drip, and I think that’s the approach that I think is going to work best for our group,” Redick said. “Tuesday will be more about us. Wednesday, we’ll introduce Minnesota.”
Speaking of Doncic, he became the first international player to have the best-selling jersey in the league, according to Mike Vornukov of The Athletic. Since the 2013/14 season, either LeBron James or Stephen Curry led the NBA in that category. The Lakers also had the league’s top-selling merchandise.
Jimmy Butler gave the Warriors fans a glimpse of “Playoff Jimmy” when he played 48 minutes, scored 30 points and matched up with Kawhi Leonard in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Clippers, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic writes. Golden State was relegated to the play-in tournament but Butler gives the Warriors another player who can take over and assert his will, Thompson notes. “You have a guy who can kind of slow the pace of the game down for us, get us into good things,” forward Draymond Green said. “Just having that extra added weapon. Having another No. 1 next to Steph is different.”
The Warriors have a clean injury report for their matchup with Memphis on Tuesday night, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Curry has a sprained right thumb and Butler took a knee to the thigh on Sunday, but both will play.

Suns Dismiss Mike Budenholzer

April 14th, 2025 at 11:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Mike Budenholzer is out as head coach of the Suns, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Budenholzer’s firing was widely anticipated after Phoenix fell far short of expectations despite a payroll approaching $400MM between salaries and tax penalties. After a fast start, the Suns stumbled to 36-46 record and failed to reach the play-in tournament.

Budenholzer, a two-time Coach of the Year, was in his first season with the team after agreeing to a five-year deal worth more than $50MM last May. This marks the third straight offseason that Phoenix will make a coaching change since Mat Ishbia bought the team. The Suns parted with Monty Williams in 2023 and Frank Vogel in 2024.

The organization’s dissatisfaction with Budenholzer went beyond the losing record, sources tell Doug Haller, Sam Amick and Fred Katz of The Athletic. There were concerns about his ability to manage the locker room and his “contentious” relationship with Devin Booker and other players. While there’s heavy trade speculation surrounding Kevin Durant, the authors report that Suns management plans to rebuild around Booker and couldn’t envision “a productive path forward” with Budenholzer as head coach.

Haller, Amick and Katz note that Budenholzer inherited many of the problems that led to his downfall. Hefty salaries for Booker, Durant and Bradley Beal led to second-apron restrictions that limited the Suns’ ability to make roster moves. Budenholzer was left with a team short on defensive ability and toughness that ranked 27th in points allowed per possession.

The authors point out that Budenholzer used 35 different starting lineups and made rotation changes that sometimes led to confusion in the locker room. They cite examples such as rookie Ryan Dunn, who was benched for a while despite being the team’s best defender, and Bol Bol, who averaged 21 minutes during a 16-game stretch in January and February then barely got off the bench for the rest of the season.

Despite the coaching change, league sources tell Haller, Amick and Katz that no immediate moves are planned in the front office, although that could change as the offseason wears on. President of basketball operations James Jones will have his contract expire in June, and Ishbia is expected to consider replacing him. They add that it’s not clear what plans Ishbia has for CEO Josh Bartelstein.

Suns insider John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 tweets that Budenholzer’s dismissal is “just the beginning” and many more changes are coming to the organization. Gambadoro adds (via Twitter) that he doesn’t expect Michael Malone or Taylor Jenkins to emerge as serious candidates for the coaching job in Phoenix.

Suns Notes: Beal, Dunn, Bol, Booker

April 12th, 2025 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bradley Beal is disappointed with the way things turned out for the Suns and understands that a lot of the blame is directed toward him, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Beal’s contract, which pays him $53.6MM next season with a $57.1MM player option for 2026/27, would be difficult to unload even if it didn’t include a no-trade clause. Phoenix would like to get rid of that financial burden to move under the second apron, but the front office couldn’t find a taker when it tried to move him before the deadline in hopes of landing Jimmy Butler.

Beal indicated at the time that he would veto a trade unless he was happy with the destination, which raised the ire of Suns fans. He also dealt with injuries that limited him to 53 games and lost his starting job for a while, saying he relied on faith to help get him through a difficult time. Despite the setbacks, he told reporters on Friday that he would be happy staying in Phoenix next season.

“I believe in what we got in there,” Beal said after the Suns snapped an eight-game losing streak. “Things happen. We didn’t have a good year. We couldn’t put it together like we wanted, but nobody hates the other man. Nobody dislikes anybody else. I love Phoenix. I love being here. Hopefully I can continue to be here, but I know (owner Mat Ishbia) is probably going to make some changes, but I enjoyed this group.”

There’s more from Phoenix:

Ryan Dunn turned in the best game of his rookie season Friday night, scoring a career-high 26 points and matching a career best with 11 rebounds, Rankin adds. He had 11 three-point attempts and has grown more confident in that part of his game as the season has worn on. “Just trusting my shot, just trusting my work, being aggressive on the offensive glass,” he said. “Got some tip-ins, got to the free-throw line.”
Among the complaints Suns fans have with coach Mike Budenholzer is his refusal to give regular minutes to Bol Bol, Rankin notes in the same piece. In the final home game of the season, the crowd cheered as Bol walked to the scorer’s table with 5:20 left in the fourth quarter, but Budenholzer changed his mind after San Antonio called a time out and Bol never entered the game. “I think they cut (the lead) to 22 or 20 or 18 or something like that and just stuck with Royce (O’Neale),” Budenholzer explained. “Kind of the veteran. Just make sure it didn’t get any closer. Royce had been out there and playing. Just loved his presence. Loves what he brings on both ends of the court in that situation.”
Devin Booker thanked Phoenix fans for remaining loyal through a rough season and offered a message of hope after Friday’s game, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link). “Things will get better,” he said. “It took a true fan to be in there tonight and still support us through what type of season we had. So it was a pleasure to see, still smiles on faces and people cheering and happy to still watch us play.”

Suns Notes: Offseason, Budenholzer, Beal, Durant, Bol

April 7th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns are on the brink of elimination after losing their sixth straight game Sunday night in New York, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix is winless since Kevin Durant suffered a sprained left ankle last weekend, and although there’s hope that he can resume playing, it may be too late. At 35-43, the Suns would have to catch either Sacramento (38-40) or Dallas (38-41) to sneak into the postseason.

As Rankin describes, Sunday’s game was typical of the recent slide as Phoenix was competitive for much of the night but still found a way to lose. The biggest problem against New York was three-point shooting as the Suns, who rank third in the league in that category at 38%, were a dreadful 4-of-34 from beyond the arc.

Although their situation looks bleak, Devin Booker said the players can’t afford to lose their focus in the final four games of the season.

“Same approach, man. I keep saying for the love of the game,” Booker said. “You never play with this sport. This is our lives. Whatever the situation is, whether we’re in or out, we’re going to give it our all and do what we can do.”

Attention now turns to what the Suns will do this summer after a hugely disappointing season despite a payroll that tops $400MM with luxury tax included. Rankin expects another coaching change, even though Mike Budenholzer was just hired last May.

Trade speculation involving Durant has been steady for the last two months, and Rankin believes the focus should be on getting under the second apron so they’ll have more flexibility to remake the roster. He also notes that owner Mat Ishbia’s willingness to change coaches hasn’t extended to the front office where general manager James Jones and CEO Josh Bartelstein have kept their jobs despite not producing a contender.

There’s more on the Suns:

Bradley Beal, who returned Friday after missing eight games with a strained left hamstring, said he’s feeling much better, Rankin adds in the same story. Beal was held scoreless in the first half Sunday, but he delivered 16 points after intermission. “Night and day better,” he said of the hamstring. “A lot more confident. Still, in the first, kind of felt like I was still trying to feel my way into the game, but I like where I was defensively. The effort on defense kept me in the game and I was able to find that rhythm in the second half.”
The Suns weren’t able to work out a Durant trade before the February deadline because they were asking for “a massive haul,” sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Windhorst doesn’t expect Phoenix to get that kind of return when trade talks resume this summer, noting that Durant will turn 37 in September and will be eligible for a two-year, $120MM max extension. Like Rankin, Windhorst suggests that a Durant trade might provide the Suns with cap flexibility rather than win-now players and draft capital.
Bol Bol was held out of Sunday’s game and has barely played over the last month or so. In a separate story from Rankin, Budenholzer explains his decision to bench Bol, who was used as a starter for 10 games around the All-Star break. “I think Cody (Martin) has gotten healthy, we’ve played Cody,” Budenholzer said. “Ryan (Dunn) has been playing more. Just always trying to give different guys opportunities, different mix, different combinations. So, (Bol’s) kind of fallen out of (the rotation).”

Latest On Kevin Durant

April 2nd, 2025 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns haven’t put out any sort of formal press release updating the status of Kevin Durant‘s left ankle injury, but head coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed on Tuesday that the timeline reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania on Monday is accurate. Charania indicated that Durant has been diagnosed with a sprained ankle and will miss at least a week, meaning he’ll be sidelined for the team’s ongoing three-game road trip.

“As of now, we don’t expect him to join us on the trip,” Budenholzer acknowledged on Tuesday, per ESPN.

The Suns’ road trip began on Tuesday with a loss in Milwaukee. They’ll travel to Boston to face the Celtics on Friday before visiting the Knicks in New York on Sunday. After that, Phoenix would have just four games left in the season, but Budenholzer said the team remains optimistic that Durant will be able to return at some point during that final week.

“We’re certainly hopeful,” Budenholzer said. “I think these first few days will be important, but we’re hopeful he’ll be back before end of the season.”

The Suns’ willingness to bring back Durant at the end of the season figures to depend in large part on whether the team’s play-in hopes are still alive. After a fourth consecutive loss on Tuesday, Phoenix is now 35-41 and trails the No. 10 Kings (36-39) by a game and a half in the Western Conference standings.

We have more on Durant:

Within a larger feature on the Suns’ disappointing season, Logan Murdock of The Ringer reports that a Durant trade this offseason isn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion. League sources tell Murdock that the star forward would be “open to a return,” even though most people around the NBA are expecting him to be on the move.
Devin Booker, for one, is hopeful that this won’t be Durant’s last season in Phoenix. “Hell yeah, I want to play alongside him,” Booker told Murdock. “The team’s been in a tough situation. So, that’s the NBA today. I think K understands the business too, that when things aren’t going the right way, people are going to explore options. I don’t know how serious it actually was, but we moved past it. You see his morale, you see how he feels about the city.”
According to Murdock, a sideline argument between Durant and Budenholzer during a game against the Lakers last month stemmed from Durant “pleading” with his coach to simplify certain offensive concepts for the benefit of the club’s younger players. The former MVP downplayed that brief confrontation in his post-game remarks.

Suns Notes: Durant, Budenholzer, Plumlee, Booker

March 19th, 2025 at 8:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant‘s relationship with Suns coach Mike Budenholzer has been an ongoing storyline for several weeks, and Durant offered some insight after this morning’s shootaround, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The topic arose again after Durant snapped at Budenholzer during a timeout in Sunday’s game at Los Angeles (Twitter video link).

“I don’t say, ‘Coach, we’ve got to do this.’ It’s his team,” Durant told reporters. “I’m there to be of assistance. If he needs me to do anything. If I got some suggestions on what may happen, I’m asking him. I’m not telling him what to do. I’m asking him, ‘Yo, Coach, what you think, we should do this right here?’ If he doesn’t think so, all right, then I’ll move on.”

A potential rift between Durant and Budenholzer has been one of the subplots of a disappointing season in Phoenix. Budenholzer is in his first season with the team after replacing Frank Vogel last summer, and Sunday’s incident was the latest evidence of possible tension behind the scenes. In a March 4 game, Durant was seen slapping away Budenholzer’s hand while returning to the huddle.

However, Durant has been supportive of his coach in his public comments, and he believes his long career gives him the right to offer input when he thinks it’s appropriate.

“I’ve never been that guy telling somebody what to do,” Durant said, “but I’ve been in the league for a long time and if I see something, Coach gives me the leeway to come to him if I see something out there that may be different. I think everyone on the team has that type of confidence to go to Coach with that stuff. I’m not telling him what he needs to do. I’m listening and giving suggestions and if it helps, it helps. If he doesn’t take it, then you move on to the next thing.”

There’s more from Phoenix:

After losing to the Lakers on Sunday, the Suns responded with one of their best games of the season the next night in a 40-point win over Toronto. In a separate story, Rankin notes that injuries to Bradley Beal and Grayson Allen created more playing time for newcomer Cody Martin and rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, who provide a better defensive foundation. “(Martin) does a little bit of everything,” Devin Booker said. “But most importantly, he’s been vocal even in the times that he hasn’t been in the game, and just seeing things that he sees out there, and it translates. And you know, it was a big part of what we did today.”
Backup center Mason Plumlee will miss tonight’s game against Chicago with a left quad strain. Budenholzer isn’t sure when it happened, saying it might be “a little bit of a cumulative effect,” tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Budenholzer adds that the team will monitor Plumlee for the next 24 to 48 hours in hopes that it’s not more serious.
Owner Mat Ishbia stated last week that trading Booker this summer would be “silly,” but Mark Deeks of HoopsHype lists four potential landing spots for Booker in the event that the Suns change their minds. Deeks views the Pistons, Thunder, Rockets and Knicks as the best options.

Suns Still Hoping To Salvage Disappointing Season

March 17th, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant‘s heated sideline exchange with coach Mike Budenholzer (Twitter video link) may be the only positive to come out of the Suns‘ loss to the Lakers on Sunday, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. It suggests that Durant is still locked in enough to care about the team amid widespread reports that he plans to ask for a trade this summer.

Durant and his teammates are struggling to make up ground on the 10th-place Mavericks, whose season is imploding amid a constant string of injuries. Phoenix has gone just 4-6 in its last 10 games and remains a game and a half behind Dallas with less than four weeks to play.

“This group is — there’s still (14) games left. We need to get into the play-in, we need to get into the playoffs and try and do something there,” Budenholzer said. “Like, there is a lot of talent in our locker room. There is a lot of fight in our locker room. So we got to get in (the play-in), and then we got to play good basketball, win games. But we got to start winning to get there, (and) I think the guys know that. And I think the mindset and the fight, in the first quarter, wasn’t where it needs to be.”

Budenholzer dismissed the latest run-in with Durant, saying it involved defensive rotations and calling it “pretty normal stuff.” Durant didn’t talk to reporters after the game, according to Vardon, telling them he was going to shower first and then quickly slipping out of the locker room after he was done.

Vardon states that there’s no easy explanation for what has gone wrong with the Suns, who looked like one of the NBA’s best teams in October and early November with an 8-1 start. There’s plenty of firepower on the roster with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal playing alongside Durant, and the front office thought it had upgraded the coaching staff by hiring Budenholzer, who has an NBA title on his resume.

Some observers have labeled Beal a disappointment, but Vardon points out that he has been playing pretty well as a third option, averaging 17.3 PPG while shooting better than 50% from the floor and nearly 40% from three-point range. However, Beal suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday that prevented him from playing in the second half and he’s considered questionable for tonight’s game against Toronto.

Phoenix is 27th in the league in defensive rating, and Budenholzer cited the need to improve in that area several times after Sunday’s loss. Vardon also notes that the three-point shooting has been inconsistent as the Suns missed 18 of their first 20 attempts from beyond the arc against the Lakers.

“I think it’s more than one thing,” Booker said. “In spots, we’ve shown we can do it, and that’s what makes it even more frustrating. We have a game like last game (a 122-106 win over Sacramento), and then we come in and miss a few shots, which affects our defense, which, you know, affects our offense. So, it’s a domino effect. If you’re playing with energy and effort, you know, you can sleep well at night, regardless. And I don’t think we’re doing that right now.”

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