James Jones on Suns’ Big 3: ‘Those guys aren’t going anywhere’
May 17, 2024, 5:30 PM | Updated: 5:46 pm
Suns general manager and president of basketball operations James Jones says he has no plans of trading Devin Booker, Kevin Durant or Bradley Beal.
Jones joined Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Friday shortly after the introductory press conference for new Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer. The Suns GM made it clear that the Big Three is here to stay.
“Those guys aren’t going anywhere, those guys are part of the solution, they’re part of the answer,” Jones said. “We acquired Kevin and Brad to play with Devin for a reason. Knowing who they are, Olympic athletes, team guys, that if we put those three competitive guys together … we’d be able to compete for championships.”
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However, Jones knows that there’s work to be done when it comes to building around the core of the Suns.
“Like all teams, you can’t win with three players,” Jones said. “It’s the rest of our team, our guys four through 15. They are going to be the ones that move the needle for us, because we know what Devin and Kevin and Brad can do by themselves. What can we do collectively with them and the rest of the team? That’s what we’re searching for right now.”
Jones also knows that if Booker, Durant and Beal are indeed destined to stay in Phoenix, then he doesn’t have a whole lot to work with in terms of other assets and draft capital.
He also mentioned how in years past, the Suns have been deep, while most recently, the team was super top heavy. He feels that the key to success is striking a balance between star power and depth.
“We have to strike a balance. But I’m open to adapt,” Jones said. “We have to be, because the NBA is forever changing. But I do know having Devin, Kevin and Brad gives us and affords us a lot of flexibility to be patient with the guys on the back end of the roster.”
Jones emphasized the importance of developing those guys on the back end, especially when possibilities are limited to bring in proven talent.
The Suns GM said the team needs to “allow them the appropriate time to grow, build confidence and prove to themselves and everyone else that they are more than capable of sharing their load and helping us compete for a championship.”
