Is the Suns’ Big 3 Collapse the Death Knell for the NBA’s Superteam Dream?

You know, when the Phoenix Suns decided to part ways with Bradley Beal, stretching out the hefty two-year, 0 million contract, it felt like the final nail in the coffin for their ambitious “Big Three” gamble. I mean, assembling three max-salaried stars was supposed to be the golden ticket, right? But this move makes me wonder—could this be the close of the chapter where stacking a trio of top-tier talents is actually a winning strategy in today’s NBA? The Suns went all-in back in 2023, scooping up Kevin Durant midseason and then snagging Beal, trading away nearly all their bench depth and future draft assets in the process. Yet, with Durant, Beal, and Devin Booker collectively gobbling up 0 million against a 0 million cap, Phoenix found themselves backed into a corner, restricted by the dreaded second apron rules that muzzled their roster flexibility. Sound familiar? The Brooklyn Nets endured a similar fate with their own star-studded trio a few years back. The takeaway? Building around three superstars isn’t just pricey—it’s perilous, especially when it kills your depth and options. Sure, Miami’s Heat pulled off a similar feat in the early 2010s without such cap constraints, but those days feel like a different era now. If the Suns’ story teaches us anything, it’s that the “Big Three” dream might be more mirage than reality these days. Curious yet? Dive deeper into the saga right here: LEARN MORE.The league was not as deep as it is now, either. Look at the teams that are winning titles now. The Oklahoma City Thunder were easily the deepest team in the NBA this past season, as were the Boston Celtics in 2024. Neither team had any holes in its eight-man rotation, let alone in the starting lineup.AdvertisementAdvertisement

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(Important to note here: Not all max contracts are created equal. Gilgeous-Alexander will make 35% of the salary cap, which is the highest possible allocation. The younger Williams and Holmgren are each slotted to make 25%, though that could increase to 30% for Williams if he meets certain qualifications next season.)AdvertisementIn Oklahoma City, the Thunder have developed three max-salaried stars. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s reigning regular-season and Finals MVP, just signed a four-year, 5 million supermax extension. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, both drafted in 2022, also signed rookie-scale max extensions in July.