5 things we learned about the Suns after their awful trade deadline

To call the NBA trade deadline for the Phoenix Suns anticlimactic would be an understatement. Unless you’re Jusuf Nurkic, who was traded to the Hornets.

Phoenix entered trade season with high hopes of reshaping the team around a competitive core led by Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler. The Feb. 6 deadline passed in frustration and disappointment. Butler went to Golden State instead of the Valley, and the Suns remained stuck in neutral after doing little to move in either direction.

The Feb. 6 trade deadline still taught us some things about the Suns this season, though. Spoiler alert: It’s not good news.

Like it or not, Bradley Beal is here to stay

When Beal negotiated a rare no-trade clause upon his arrival in Phoenix, he meant business. While rumors swirled about a potential deal to ship Beal to Miami in exchange for Butler, Beal made it clear he was having none of it. His message was loud and clear: “I’m good here.”

Whether fans or the front office like it, Beal isn't budging anytime soon. Beal has two more seasons under contract, so Phoenix will have to embrace the Beal era — or at least endure it until the clock runs out.

Durant's days in Phoenix numbered

It’s not so much fun when the rabbit has the gun. The Suns are going to find out what that means this offseason.

The Suns did multiple people dirty in the past few weeks, but their attempt to trade Durant back to Golden State may have been its biggest mistake of all. If reports suggesting that Durant was “blindsided” by the rumors are true, his loyalty to Phoenix seems fragile at best. That makes it highly likely he’ll be on the move this offseason.

Miami — ironically, the same team involved in the Butler talks — might just be his next destination. Expect plenty of noise surrounding a Durant trade this summer.

Coming soon: a complete rebuild

The Suns’ house is a mess, and sometimes a renovation isn’t possible. A complete teardown is required.

After holding onto their trio of Booker, Durant and Beal, the Suns have one of the league's most unbalanced rosters and a bloated salary cap. With little flexibility to improve and fading championship hopes, it may be time to consider a full teardown.

That could involve trading Devin Booker, their most valuable asset, to reset the franchise. While unpopular, it might be the only way to salvage a competitive future.

James Jones is officially on the hot seat

The Suns’ trade deadline chaos falls squarely on president and general manager James Jones. If the chef gets compliments after a good meal — in Phoenix’s case, acquiring Durant several years ago — then he gets the terrible Yelp reviews when it turns sour.

Jones now faces criticism for constructing one of the most expensive and least effective rosters in the NBA. Instead of securing a deal to elevate the team, Phoenix was caught in trade rumors that ultimately went nowhere. The fallout has left the Suns weaker and more dysfunctional than ever.

Jones now must clean up the mess he created or move out of the way for someone else to.

The Suns are pretenders, not contenders

The Suns have never won a title. That streak is in no danger of being broken anytime soon. The harshest lesson from the deadline is that Phoenix squandered its chance to become a legitimate contender.

After Charles Barkley and Steve Nash, Devin Booker is the latest Suns star to be wasted in Phoenix. The Suns are now a team in flux, facing uncertainty and unrest. Without bold moves this offseason — ones that involve getting Kevin Durant and Booker help, not trading them away — another prolonged period of mediocrity will follow.

Only time will tell whether the Suns can recover from this disastrous trade deadline. But it’s tough to envision how it could have gone any worse.