We've been loving the offseason content that Yossi Gozlan has been consistently churning out on his Third Apron Podcast, but suggesting the LA Clippers could be a future suitor for Devin Booker feels a step too far.
Suns better to stick with Booker for life than trade to L.A.
In a conversation with Sam Quinn of CBS ahead of the new season, as they picked through the wreckage of where the Clippers go next after their future got decimated in the wake of the Kawhi Leonard scandal, Gozlan picked Booker as a possible trade target for them down the road.
"They could probably get more of an older, aging vet on a really bad contract. You mentioned Joel Embiid, I would throw in Devin Booker in that category. Donovan Mitchell, if things go wrong with the Cavs. A guy who is around 30 and just has a very big, 35 percent max contract. I could see them getting one of those guys."
In theory, Gozlan is correct that LA should and likely will go after an older star to remain relevant for the rest of the decade before their own draft picks come back on the horizon again. But there are two clear reasons the Suns won't engage with them if they do come enquiring about Booker.
The most obvious is the fact that owner Mat Ishbia once again reiterated this offseason that Booker will never be traded while he is in charge. He means more to the Suns than any other franchise in the league, and the front office has continued trying to retool around him to win now.
The 2026-27 campaign could very well be the last year he plays in The Valley if they regress from the 45 wins of last season, but if that were to happen, the Clippers would not be his next destination. In an open bidding war for his services, they don't have the assets to entice the Suns into a deal, which is the other key reason this won't happen.
The two organizations have some of the bleakest future outlooks in the entire NBA, and neither can provide the other with the kind of assets down the road to come to the negotiating table. Better to have a legitimate star in the here and now, no matter how bad the contract is, than not. The Suns have Booker; therefore, they are more relevant.
Booker's contract has quietly become one of worst in NBA
The ugly part of Gozlan's suggestion is the fact that Booker is even mentioned alongside the likes of Embiid, largely because his contract has become one of the worst across the league. Paying him over $60 million for the next two seasons and then likely handing him another max contract is tough to swallow when you are again flirting with the second apron and look no closer to making the NBA Finals.
This is made even more complicated by the arrival of Miles Bridges, who may work out on the court but is also looking for an extension and could hinder the team further.
Eventually trading Booker is the only way out of their current situation, but should the Suns finally relent and make him available, you can be sure the Clippers won't be his next destination.
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