The Phoenix Suns surprised people around the NBA by making the playoffs this past season. After trading Kevin Durant last offseason, they were expected to take a step back. Phoenix had to change the way they played without Durant there to bail them out.
However, the Suns were able to make the first round of the playoffs before getting swept by the Thunder. While the roster has changed around him, Devin Booker has been the one mainstay on the team. He is a superstar player who seems happy in Phoenix.
One NBA writer believes that he could be one of the next superstars to be moved.
GettyPhoenix Suns guard Devin Booker drives the ball in a game. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Suns’ Devin Booker Predicted to Possibly Be Traded
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report believes that Booker could be the next superstar player on the move.
“It’s probably an endearing show of loyalty to those who cling to their nostalgic thoughts of the league’s pre-player empowerment era. It’s also shaping up to be an entirely unremarkable way for Booker to play out his prime years, since the Suns have neither the on-hand talent to compete for something of substance, nor the trade chips needed to require that help,” Buckley wrote.
Booker has been the player whom the Suns have refused to put in a trade. He remains the lone player left on the roster from the 2021 NBA Finals run that the team made. Booker seems relatively happy in Phoenix, even though the roster around him isn’t top-tier.
It seems that the only way that Booker leaves is if he decides he is done waiting for the team to put a roster around him that he believes can compete for a championship. Phoenix looks to be in no hurry to trade him, and they seem to want to keep him as a home-grown star.
GettyPhoenix Suns guard Devin Booker shoots the ball in a game against the Thunder. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Phoenix Has to be Better on Offense Next Season
Multiple injuries prevented the offense from being the best it could be this past season. Booker missed 18 games with an injury. Jalen Green missed most of the regular season. Phoenix’s centers kept getting injured, as well. All of that led to a less-than-stellar offensive output.
This past season, Phoenix had the 17th-ranked offense in the NBA. Having a healthier team should increase that number, and Booker is still a key part of that offense. He is still the best player on the team after all of these years. Other teams would certainly entertain offers for him.
The Suns are still expecting to grow as a team heading into next season. They are still going to be a solid defensive team, and Booker isn’t a bad perimeter defender. It would be surprising if the Suns moved on from Booker at this point in his career.
Booker might end up being one of the rare players who stays with one team for his entire career, despite Buckley’s prediction.
Suns Star Guard Predicted to be One of the Next Superstars Traded