PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns entered 2024 built like a superteam and left resembling a cautionary tale.

What was supposed to be a coronation turned into a collapse. With the acquisition of Bradley Beal to pair with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker under championship coach Mike Budenholzer, the season felt like title-or-bust.

Instead, the “Big Three” never materialized.

Beal’s play was sloppy, scoring was below par, Budenholzer lost the team in the locker room, Durant was frustrated with the offense, and Phoenix’s paper-thin depth chart couldn’t cover up the cracks. The result? Thirty-six wins — fewest since the 2020 bubble — and a seat on the outside looking in during the playoffs.

In the wake of Budenholzer’s firing, the Suns’ plain-spoken autopsy was worth a thousand words: “Change is nee

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