The NBA world has been shocked by the announcement that Bradley Beal is being traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, and second-round picks.
This has many implications in the Western Conference but fans have noticed another angle to it. After joining the Golden State Warriors and forming a super team, and then teaming up with Kyrie Irving and James Harden on the Nets, Kevin Durant has become part of another Big 3. And fans are roasting him on social media.
Kevin Durant had Russell Westbrook and James Harden with him in Oklahoma City as well, although that was just thanks to good drafting. In any case, fans don’t care about the circumstances as much as the result.
The Suns have formed a Big 3 with the acquisition of Bradley Beal and managed to keep Deandre Ayton in the process as well. As such, the pressure will be immense for them to win it all, as one fan pointed out, especially for Durant.
Bradley Beal becomes the latest in a line of top-tier stars that Durant has played with, following Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.
This Big 3 might just be bad news for the rest of the NBA, and one fan questioned how players across the league will feel when they see the news of another superteam being formed.
Kevin Durant is a made man, having won two championships and two Finals MVPs. However, as the list of great teammates continues to grow, the narrative around his wins is seemingly starting to change.
Neither Kevin Durant nor the Phoenix Suns are likely to care about any of this, but the pressure is already piling up four months before next season is due to begin. The Suns are surely not done making moves either, it remains to be seen what pieces they can add alongside their newly formed Big 3.
Phoenix Suns Still Need To Add Playmaking And Defense To Become A Real Contender
With Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal on the same team, shooting and scoring are far from a problem for the Suns. Between the three of them, they averaged 80 points per game total last season. But having given up Chris Paul and having lost Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson in the KD trade, they will need to add playmaking and defense to the roster.
Likely, Deandre Ayton will also be moved to fill the roster out and provide more balance to the team. As Kevin Durant’s previous superteam in Brooklyn proved, putting together a Big 3 is only the first step to contention. The Suns still have a lot of work to do before next season.