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Phoenix Suns · Franchise era 7 of 7

Booker's contender: the Phoenix Suns story

The story in one sentence

Paul helped Booker lead a Finals run and a 64-win season before Phoenix exchanged depth and draft capital for another superstar swing.

01

The Finals return and an all-in second act

02

Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant gave the era its recognizable core.

03

Its final meaning is still being written.

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Before 2020–21

    What came before

    Phoenix spent a decade outside the playoffs while Booker developed from late-lottery scorer into its next franchise star.

  2. 2021

    Western Conference Finals: Phoenix Suns vs LA Clippers

    Western ConferenceFinals
    2021
    PHOENIXSUNS
    LOS ANGELESCLIPPERS
    COMPLETE SERIES

    Western Conference Finals · 6 games

    Phoenix Suns vs LA Clippers

    Open the complete series →

    Series finale · Game 6 · Jun 30, 2021Phoenix Suns at LA Clippers →Closest game · Game 2 · Jun 22, 2021LA Clippers at Phoenix Suns →

  3. 2021

    NBA Finals: Phoenix Suns vs Milwaukee Bucks

    NBA Finals
    2021
    PHOENIXSUNS
    MILWAUKEEBUCKS
    COMPLETE SERIES

    NBA Finals · 6 games

    Phoenix Suns vs Milwaukee Bucks

    Open the complete series →

    Series finale · Game 6 · Jul 20, 2021Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks →Closest game · Game 5 · Jul 17, 2021Milwaukee Bucks at Phoenix Suns →

  4. 2022

    Western Conference Semifinals: Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks

    Western ConferenceSemifinals
    2022
    PHOENIXSUNS
    DALLASMAVERICKS
    COMPLETE SERIES

    Western Conference Semifinals · 7 games

    Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks

    Open the complete series →

    Series finale · Game 7 · May 15, 2022Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns →Closest game · Game 1 · May 2, 2022Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns →

  5. February 9, 2023

    Phoenix's Kevin Durant all-in wager

    New Suns ownership immediately compressed a Finals-tested core into another superstar beside Devin Booker. Brooklyn abandoned its own superteam and reclaimed flexibility.

    17TradeFebruary 9, 2023To PHXPHXDURANT35PHXWARREN12To BKNBKNBRIDGES1BKNJOHNSON—DraftPICKround asset+5 assetsDurant to PhoenixPHX receives Kevin Durant, T.J. WarrenBKN receives Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Rights: Juan Pablo Vaulet + 5 more10 original assets · 3 outcomes tracedOpen trade →

  6. Still unfolding

    Where the story stands

    This chapter remains active, so its final place in franchise history is still being written.

The core

Faces of the chapter

01Devin Booker→02Chris Paul→03Kevin Durant→
← Previous eraThe long rebuild2010–11—2019–20