Kevin Durant has formed another Big Three. This time with the Phoenix Suns.
After the Washington Wizards reportedly traded star guard Bradley Beal to the Suns on Sunday, Durant now joins Devin Booker and Beal as the NBA's next Big Three.
On Monday's episode of "First Take," ESPN's Stephen A. Smith discussed the big trade and why Phoenix's Big Three differs from the Warriors' trio of Durant, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
"My issue is, who are you going to stop? Is there any defense whatsoever? And the depth, that definitely is a question mark as well," Smith said. "They can score on anybody, there's no doubt about it. There's a difference between what Kevin Durant was playing with in Golden State with catch-and-shoot players, I'm talking about catch-and-shoot-capable players like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson (and) their capability and what they bring to the table in that regard.
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"Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, they're not shooters, they're scorers who can shoot. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson were shooters. So when I look at Kevin Durant with a Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, I don't see the same kind of Big Three and I see the kind of Big Three that honestly will play into the hands of any team that can score and also is going to show up and play some defense. Phoenix can score on anybody, we get that. Who are you going to stop?"
Durant played three seasons with the Warriors where he won two championships and helped form some of the greatest teams of all time. The 34-year-old is no stranger to playing alongside other superstars. Before joining the Warriors in the summer of 2016, Durant played alongside James Harden and Russell Westbrook on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Since leaving Golden State, Durant has played with Harden and Kyrie Irving on the Brooklyn Nets before joining Booker and Chris Paul in a mid-season trade to the Suns last season.
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As impressive as Phoenix's Big Three might appear on paper, Smith isn't ready to crown them the favorites in the Western Conference just yet.
"They certainly are not my favorites to come out of the West at this particular moment in time," Smith added.
Phoenix (45-37) finished the 2022-23 regular season as the fourth seed in the conference before losing to the future NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. However, with Beal reportedly joining Durant and Booker, the Suns will look to make a much deeper championship run next season.
