Phoenix Suns: Bleacher Report proposes trading Devin Booker…again

One month after they proposed the Phoenix Suns should trade Devin Booker to the New York Knicks, they now suggest the team trade their star to the Atlanta Hawks.

Last month, Greg Schwartz of the Bleacher Report proposed course-changing trades each team could make and hypothesized the Phoenix Suns sending Devin Booker to the New York Knicks for some chewing gum and a coupon to Bennigans.

Now, he is back at it, featuring yet another trade-for-each team piece, and this time, he is proposing shipping Devin Booker to the Atlanta Hawks for what he calls a “king’s ransom.”

What’s in that king’s ransom?

Bleacher Report proposed yet another trade to rid the Phoenix Suns of Devin Booker.

The Suns would get four players and a first-round pick, which is definitely a lot is a lot in terms of quantity, but what about quality?

John Collins had a breakout season for the Hawks, averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game and De’Andre Hunter was the fourth pick last year. Kevin Huerter is an alright shooter and Dewayne Dedmon is needed because his contract makes the money work.

On top of that, a 2020 first-round pick that will likely be pretty high, which is a good thing, but then again, with such a weak draft, it’s less exciting than what it normally might be.

The merits of this trade on its surface are debatable, however, what really sticks out to me is the national media eagerness to put Devin Booker in a different uniform. This trade is the kind of transaction the Suns would only make during Booker’s contract year when he has made it evident he doesn’t wish to resign with the team, similar to Anthony Davis and the Pelicans last season.

This is not the type of trade the Suns would make because they think it would make their team better.

The rationale Bleacher Report game behind why this is good for the Phoenix Suns is both weak and frustrating. Schwartz says:

"Booker is growing into one of the league’s best young shooting guards, yet the Suns continue to lose with him as a No. 1 option."

It took some deep fact-checking, but it turns the Atlanta Hawks had a worse record than the Phoenix Suns did this year, so this begs the question, why not propose a trade that would send Trae Young to the Valley for a hoard of role players? After all, Young is emerging as one of the league’s best guards, yet the Hawks continue to lose with him as a No. 1 option.

Right?

There seems to be an inherent bias against the Suns, as if national media think, “The Suns aren’t worthy of a player like Booker,” and that mentality grows infuriating after a while.

The only cure, I’m afraid, is winning. The Suns made a huge leap this year and maybe if they can sneak into the playoffs next season, some of this anti-Phoenix rhetoric will subside.

Until then, there will unfortunately be more articles on creative ways to extract the Suns’ only All-Star from the Valley.