Mat Ishbia believes the Phoenix Suns have a shot at winning a title in the very near future. It's why the Suns refused to consider trading Devin Booker to enter rebuild mode. The franchise reiterated its commitment to the 28-year-old on Wednesday when the two sides agreed to a two-year, $145 million maximum extension.
Booker wants to be the one to lead Phoenix to a championship. He deserves that much after spending the past 10 seasons with the Suns. The question is, will it happen? Or did Booker and Phoenix's best shot at winning a title already occur? Based on the team's outlook, the answer to the latter question is yes.
The Suns entered the offseason without the draft capital to make the kind of league-shaking trade they needed to be considered contenders in the West. They turned the No. 10 pick they received in the Kevin Durant trade into Khaman Maluach, giving them a young player who has potential. At least they have that going for them.
Phoenix doesn't have the financial flexibility to upgrade the roster, either. The Suns are stuck in no-man's land. Other top teams in the conference, such as the Rockets and Nuggets, have made major moves this summer. Cooper Flagg is in Dallas now. The West will be better than ever next season.
Where does that leave Booker and the Suns?
Suns can't build a contending roster around star Devin Booker
Zach Lowe said on his podcast, The Zach Lowe Show, that he believes the Suns will waive-and-stretch Bradley Beal's contract next week, paving the way for him to sign with the Suns. If that happens, Phoenix will owe Beal about $19.4 million for the next five years. Lowe noted how difficult it will be for the Suns to do much of anything when Booker and Beal will be on the books for $85-90 million.
The right thing to do is to invest in your franchise players, especially the ones who helped lead you to the NBA Finals. On one hand, it's hard not to be happy for Booker, but on the other, it's hard not to be even more worried about Phoenix's future. As currently constructed, the Suns aren't built to contend, and Booker's extension will make it even more difficult for them to reach the mountaintop.
Watching Booker lead Phoenix to a title is something that will probably only happen in Ishbia's dreams, to no fault of Booker's.