Does Durant make Suns a super team? Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Jerry Colangelo weigh in

Are the Phoenix Suns now a super team after they traded for Kevin Durant to join Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton?

The definition of an NBA super team varies among the media and fans.

“I just don’t do all the titles and stuff. That’s for you guys (the media) and everybody else," Booker told The Republic at the Suns' first practice since last weekend's All-Star break. "I know we have a really talented group, I think enough to get to where we’re trying to go and finish what we’re trying to do, so that’s my main focus. Everything that’s said about us will come regarding how we finish.”

NBA super teams generally are considered those with rosters having three or more multiyear or perennial All-Stars and a productive bench, making them favorites to win a championship. The term has gained traction over the past 15 years as top players have moved between teams to build contenders.

The common denominator is through player empowerment. Superstars like Durant request trades from their teams to other desired destinations, or team up with other superstars in free agency.

When Durant was traded to Phoenix from the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 8, the Suns' odds immediately spiked to become the favorite to win the Western Conference title this season, their second in three years.

But it's difficult to say if the Suns are a super team with Durant for a several reasons.

First, the Suns haven't played a game with Durant yet, as he recovers from a knee sprain.

Second, although they've won 11 of their past 15 games, the Suns (32-28) are fifth in Western Conference standings and haven't been a dominant team for most of this season.

Third, Booker reminded The Republic that technically the Suns have just one All-Star this season in Durant, who sat out from last Sunday's All-Star Game in Utah because of his sprained MCL. Booker was passed over this year, having missed more than a month with an injured groin.

Still, Booker is a three-time All-Star who finished fourth in the MVP voting and was an All-NBA First Team selection last season as well. Paul, a perennial All-Star who didn't make it this year, and Durant both were named to the NBA's 75 Greatest Players list last season.

Also, the Suns won their franchise regular season record 64 games last year and were the postseason's top overall seed.

There also is a fourth piece that could make it a Suns Big 4: Deandre Ayton. He's being paid on a rookie max deal, averaging a career-high 18.8 points per game this season, has shot nearly 60% and grabbed about 10 rebounds per game through his fifth season. He continues to develop as one of the league's top five efficient centers.

“I thought a super team was somebody joining a super team," Ayton replied to The Republic's question at their practice Thursday, when asked if he considers the Suns a super team with Durant.

"You can’t ask me that. We can just show you. I ain’t even played with the dude yet, to be honest. We got so much to prove and there’s so many expectations,'' he added.

"We hear the noise, but all we can do is just show you guys we’re in this gym working and trying to polish up some things. But all we can do is just show it and prove it.”

Many super teams formed during the past couple of decades have been in major markets such as New York City, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles and Golden State's Bay Area. The latter four markets won five world titles since 2008 and appeared in nine NBA finals since that year.

That term began to describe the 2008 champion Boston Celtics, which had their resident Hall of Famer Paul Pierce and traded for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett during the previous year's offseason. But super teams became popularized as a standard when LeBron James televised his "Decision" on ESPN in July 2010 and joined Hall of Famers Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami. They won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013, and appeared in four straight finals until James returned to Cleveland the following year.

They also include Durant after he left the Oklahoma City Thunder, which he appeared in the 2012 finals with a then-young Russell Westbrook and James Harden and lost to Miami, then signed with the Golden State Warriors in free agency in 2016. The Warriors already had the 2015 title led by their three All-Stars in two-time MVP Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Durant then earned two straight Finals MVP awards as he helped then win it all in 2017 and 2018.

Then he signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 as a free agent, linking with Kyrie Irving who was traded from Boston that same year. Two years later, the 2018 MVP Harden demanded a trade from the Houston Rockets to Brooklyn, and they became the favorites to win the 2021 title.

But through four years together, Brooklyn's former Big 3 ended up playing a small portion of games together. Harden demanded a trade to Philadelphia in February 2022. Kyrie Irving demanded a trade near this year's trade deadline after not landing a desired extension and was sent to Dallas on Feb. 5. Durant was sent to Phoenix three days later, a team he had indicated last summer he was interested in joining.

“We just didn’t get on the court enough,” Durant said during his introductory Suns press conference on Feb. 16., in reference to Brooklyn.

“I think when you saw James, Kyrie and myself, it was amazing basketball for 17 games (laughs), but in order for you to win a championship and to be a great team, you need more time on the floor. It’s another story about why we didn’t get on the floor together, but we just didn’t get enough time on the floor.”

Jerry Colangelo applauds Durant deal

Former Suns owner Jerry Colangelo told The Republic that the Suns being a "super team" has yet to be determined.

Phoenix gave up four future first-round draft picks, a pick swap, two young starters in Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson, and Jae Crowder for Durant. Colangelo, former Suns owner who sold the franchise to Robert Sarer in 2004, he would've done the same thing.

"There’s so many moving parts in terms of building a team and maintaining a team," Colangelo said. "There’s too many variables to say basically this: Are you willing to give up part of the future to try to win it today when you have a lot of pieces today? You don’t know what you’re gonna have in the future.

"The transaction the Suns made is one I would’ve made in a heartbeat.”

Colangelo also was long-time president of USA Basketball who formed the 1992 USA "Dream Team" and other gold-medal winning team. He knows a thing or two about bring superstars together.

“The one thing about basketball is you don’t need a roster full of stars," Colangelo said. "You need some stars and you need complementary players, depth. In basketball, three or four guys can take you to The Promised Land if you have enough of a support system around them.”

Longtime Suns fans may remember how Colangelo pulled off a deal that rivals the Durant trade.

In 1992 the Suns obtained Charles Barkley from the Philadelphia 76ers to join All-Stars Kevin Johnson, Dan Majerle, and Tom Chambers. Phoenix became top seed in the 1993 playoffs, Barkley earned MVP honors, but lost to the Michael Jordan-led Bulls in the finals, 4-2.

“It’s just normal to look at the addition of a superstar coming to the franchise in Durant and comparing that to Charles. It’s a normal kind of comparison, and it is déjà vu. It’s kind of different circumstances, but yet the same," Colangelo said. "We were very good but just short of having a championship team. We were winning 50 to 55 games a year with the roster we had and it was a good one. But we felt that we were missing that one piece to put us over the hump. ...

"Similar to today’s Suns team, you get the sense that they’ve been very good. This year’s been a lot of turmoil with injuries and et cetera, but they’ve been closer and closer regard the past few years. And here’s Durant, another great player, superstar who could be that missing piece.”

Colangelo said that "super team" idea really began from free agency over the past 25 years as monies were spent in team payrolls to have immediate chances at title wins.

Also, he added they began to coalesce in 2006 when James, Wade, Bosh and Carmelo Anthony were together on Team USA and discussed being on the same NBA team.

But those some super team rosters don't always work out as planned.

For example, the 1998 Rockets had Barkley after he was traded from Phoenix in 1996, along with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, but lost in the West finals to Utah. More recently, the Lakers with Lebron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook missed the playoffs last season.

“Sometimes the best made plans don’t work out, they go astray. The one thing I want to say about this (Suns) team, it’s a low maintenance team. Good people. There’s not gonna be many distractions with this group. I don’t see it that way," Colangelo said.

"If they’re healthy and they can put it together and put Durant in the lineup when he’s ready, I think everyone’s waiting to see how that happens. It’s not necessarily about winning or losing. Just get into the playoffs and try to get in high of a position as you can in the playoffs, then all bets are off. You’re as good a shot as anybody else. That’s why I’m optimistic.”

Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at dana.scott@azcentral.com or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Are the Phoenix Suns a super team? Booker, Ayton weigh in