Suns to Shell Out 1/4th of a Billion for Kevin Durant and Big-3’s Championship Dream: Is the Whopping Bill Justified?

Published 02/20/2024, 8:55 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The Phoenix Suns have gone All in on their goal of winning a Championship this season. The Suns want to capitalize on their Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker and get the best out of them as soon as possible. To speed up the process, their front office finalized the signing of veteran Forward Thaddeus Young earlier today. “Thad is a highly respected veteran player who makes us a better team in our pursuit of winning an NBA Championship.” Suns GM James Jones said after signing the 35-year-old.

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Kevin Durant and Co. were even ready to pay a hefty price for bringing a Championship to Phoenix. Following the Thaddeus Young signing, the Suns are projected to pay 1/4th of a Billion in salary and tax penalties this season. They are ranked 3rd in the league in salaries at $191 million and 3rd in the league in tax penalties at $66.9 million. After the signing, Young will earn $8 million in his original salary and $1,010,371 for 10+ years of service. Phoenix will incur a $638,413 cap hit.

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While Thaddeus is no longer as productive as he was a few years ago, his intelligence and veteran presence could add immense value to the Suns’ roster. He played 23 games with the Toronto Raptors earlier this season and averaged 5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. Young will also add a defensive presence to the Suns squad that they have missed all season. With Phoenix paying over $250 million in salaries and tax penalties, they have a lot riding on the Big 3’s performance for the rest of the season.

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Can Kevin Durant and Co. bring glory to Phoenix and justify their expenses?

After a shaky start to the season, the Suns Big 3 recently started showing how they can dominate the league when completely healthy. Kevin Durant and Co. went 5-2 in February before heading to the All-Star break. They have risen to the 5th spot in the Western Conference standings with a 33-22 record. With Kevin Durant and Devin Booker playing at an elite level and Bradley Beal expected to fully recover from injury this week, the Big 3 could finally bring a Championship to Phoenix.

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The Phoenix Suns have never won a title despite going to the NBA Finals 3 times. That has left a negative impact on the historic franchise, and they want to change that. KD, Booker, and Beal are one of the most lethal offensive trios in the league. And it will be hard to beat them in the playoffs if they remain healthy. A Championship would justify the Suns’ quarter of a billion-dollar expense and help them assert their dominance in the league.

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Written by:

Rohan Bhaunt

818Articles

One take at a time

Rohan Singh Bhaunt, an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, boasts a background as a divisional basketball player and an NBA enthusiast spanning over a decade. His extensive knowledge of the sport enables him to intricately explore its nuances, presenting a fresh outlook. Rohan's dive into the NBA newsdesk at ES commenced with witnessing LeBron James secure his inaugural championship in Miami.
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