The Suns’ Big 3 is still together after the trade deadline, so the search for success continues

PHOENIX (AP) - Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are still members of the Phoenix Suns after a tumultuous trade deadline. Now they have roughly 30 games to turn around their disappointing season.

The problem is there aren’t many reasons to believe that’s going to happen.

The Suns ended up being relatively quiet the deadline Thursday, despite rampant speculation that Beal and Durant were on the trading block. Tight-lipped Phoenix general manager James Jones didn’t offer many clues to how seriously he considered trading either player Friday night before a game against the Utah Jazz.

"It always gets noisy when you’re not winning," Jones said. "And we’re not winning."

The Suns have a 25-25 record and are on a three-game losing streak. Durant (ankle) and Beal (toe) were out of the lineup against the Jazz because of injuries.

That’s been a common theme during the All-Star trio’s 1 1/2-year stretch in the desert. The trio has struggled with nagging injuries throughout the past 18 months, rarely playing together for an extended stretch.

Durant’s absences have been particularly painful this season. The Suns are 24-15 when he plays and 1-10 when he doesn’t.

But even in the rare moments they’ve all been healthy, there hasn’t been consistent success. The Suns retooled their roster around the Big 3 after getting swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, firing coach Frank Vogel and hiring Mike Budenholzer to shake things up, but nothing has helped.

Phoenix is running out of chances to get it right with this group. Jones insists the team isn’t giving up.

"I think the injuries are a part of it," Jones said. "I also think we just haven’t performed well enough. … But we do see glimpses of success, and for right now, these last 32 games of the year give us an opportunity to maximize what we do."

Beal had been the subject of trade rumors for months because of the $110 million he’s owed over the next two years. The three-time All-Star also has a no-trade clause, though Jones said he never asked Beal to waive it.

The 31-year-old is averaging 17.4 points per game and was moved to the bench earlier this season.

But the speculation about Durant came as more of a shock, exploding over the final days before the deadline. Even at 36 years old, he’s one of the game’s elite scorers, averaging nearly 27 points per game. He’ll play in his 15th All-Star game later this month and is under contract for next season.

It’s unclear how much the trade speculation affected Durant, though Jones called him a "pro."

"He’s always shown and will continue to show, and I think this team will continue to show, that despite the things outside of our walls, we will focus on the task at hand and that’s ball,” Jones said.

Jones - who won three NBA titles during his 14-year career - said he still believes that there is plenty of untapped potential for this group to make a deep playoff run. The Suns did deal disgruntled center Jusuf Nurkic to the Hornets on Thursday, adding Cody Martin and Vasa Micic to add depth on the perimeter.

Jones’ optimism might be hard to believe, but at this point, there isn’t much other choice.

"We understand that there’s a lot of work to do," Jones said. "But it’ll be fun. It’ll be a challenge and we’re up to it."