Phoenix Suns: 5 takeaways from 2017-18 exit interviews

1. The Suns know it’s time to start winning again

From McDonough to Booker to Triano to the team’s younger, developing players, everyone seems to be on the same page: It’s time to start being a competitive NBA team again.

"“I’m done with not making the playoffs,” Booker said. “I’m serious, it’s probably my last year ever not making the playoffs. I wanted to say that, and that’s putting pressure on myself that I need, that I’m gonna take into this summer and I’m gonna work that hard so it doesn’t happen again.”"

Devin Booker may want to be in Phoenix now, but that might not be the case after another 20-win season or two, even if he does sign that max extension. Remember, this is a 21-year-old who’s already joined some pretty elite company so early in his career.

He’s talked about being a winner throughout his basketball career until now, and he watches the NBA teams playing to clinch a playoff spot, believing that’s where he belongs.

"“I’m not a general manager, all I can do is watch basketball and I feel like I know the game pretty well,” Booker said. “So I’ll be watching this summer, feeling people out, who would be a great addition to the team through the draft or through free agency.”"

Booker taking a more active approach and working on his game with his teammates is great, and it’s what you want to see from any franchise player. However, internal growth alone isn’t going to get the Suns there, even with the best odds at the No. 1 overall pick in a top-heavy 2018 NBA Draft class.

The moment that draft selection leaves Adam Silver’s lips in June, the time for tanking and stockpiling young talent will be over.

"“The rules have changed in this league as far as the draft lottery after this one, and it’s time for our organization,” Triano said. “I know that everybody in the front office has already talked about it, it’s time to expedite the growth process.”"

So how do the Suns get there? For starters, acquiring high-level talent via trades or free agency is a must for the first time in a few years.

"“We’ll be one of five or six teams with $10 million or more in cap space and I think we have the ability to create significantly more if we wanted,” McDonough said. “We don’t want to create it just speculatively just to have it, but if there’s a player — probably more likely, multiple players — we want to bring in, I think we’ll have the ability to do that fairly easily the way our contracts are structured.”"

McDonough stated the plan has always revolved around a three-year rebuilding period. The Suns have studied successful franchises who build their success on young cores, such as the Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, and even the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs to set an appropriate timeline. After Year 3, the risk of losing becoming the standard sets in.

That’s why this summer is paramount for the organization. Jared Dudley and Tyson Chandler are great locker room mentors, but having on-court examples who can actually help the team win games and navigate the younger players through an 82-game season would provide is imperative.

"“I always think the voice in the locker room or the voice when they’re teaching carries a lot more when the person is contributing and not just there as a teacher,” Triano said."

McDonough said playing time will be more merit-based moving forward after having ample time to evaluate their young talent. First round draft picks and young players may be available via trade once the draft lottery order has been sorted out.

The intention is to bring in experienced, talented veterans who aren’t over the hill, but the Suns GM said the team’s own first-rounder is off limits…with one possible caveat.

"“I think we’re more open to trading draft picks and young players than we have in the past,” he said. “The only thing I don’t really see unless it were a blockbuster is us trading our own pick, given it’ll be in the top-four in a loaded draft. I think that would be really hard to do unless we could acquire a star or a young superstar, which is the hardest thing in the league to do. As far as the other picks, yeah, if we have one or two in the mid-first round or our second round pick [No. 31], we’re open to any and all of that.”"

The Suns will be going on nine years without a playoff appearance and 51 years without a championship next season. The face of the franchise will be entering his fourth season and already put up a 25-5-5 stat line this year.

Next: 2017-18 Week 26 NBA Power Rankings

Phoenix has work to do this summer to not only lock Devin Booker in to an extension, but to make moves — in the most important summer in franchise history — that will keep him happy and winning throughout the duration of that contract.