NBA franchise cornerstones are being traded left and right these days, but it doesn’t appear that Devin Booker will be next up on that list.
Speaking Friday on ESPN’s “The Hoop Collective,” Brian Windhorst shared some big news about Booker’s future amid the uncertainty and turmoil facing the Phoenix Suns right now. Windhorst said that Booker doesn’t intend to go anywhere and would like to remain a Sun for life.
“Devin Booker, that I know, wants to be a Phoenix Sun for his whole career,” said Windhorst.
Booker, 28, was drafted by Phoenix in 2015 and has made four All-Star teams as well as two All-NBA teams with them. He helped transform them from a 19-win team in 2018-19 to a 64-win team in 2021-22 (with an NBA Finals berth along the way in 2021).
These days, the Suns are somewhere in the middle despite having an NBA-high payroll that takes them deep into the throes of the second apron. Even with all the spending, Phoenix is just 25-25 this year, and it is becomingly increasingly apparent that their Big Three of Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal is untenable as a legitimate championship contender.
Booker is a very beloved Sun who has remained loyal to the team through all of their many ups and downs, including roster turnover, coaching changes, and even a switch in ownership. While Booker does not possess a no-trade clause to save him in the unlikely event that Phoenix decides to unilaterally part ways with him, it seems far likelier that this other member of the Suns’ Big Three will be traded this offseason instead.
