Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report recently wrote an article with some trade ideas for teams around the league, including a deal that would see the Phoenix Suns ship out Devin Booker. In the trade, he would join Kevin Durant on the Houston Rockets, who was also just traded this summer.
The hypothetical trade Hughes wrote up would see Phoenix send Booker to Houston in exchange for Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, Steven Adams, Jeff Green, and 2027 and 2029 first-round picks (via PHX). If that deal went through, the Suns and Rockets would effectively be swapping rosters from last season to next season.
With Booker and Durant joining the Rockets.
Should the Suns make this Devin Booker trade?
The Suns have made it clear that they have no plans to trade Booker. They want him to be a Sun for life, evidenced by the record-breaking extension they handed him this offseason. And based on everything he’s stated, Booker wants to stay in Phoenix, too.
But that’s not the question at hand. Rather than asking, ‘Will the Suns trade Booker?’ the question should be, ‘Should the Suns trade Booker?’
If the Suns were to trade Booker, it would have to be with the promise of reclaiming their own future. Or at least a part of it. This trade with the Rockets would accomplish that goal, allowing them to hit the reset button.
They would regain their draft capital in 2027 and 2029, which would help them rebuild with Jalen Green, Khaman Maluach, Reed Sheppard, and Rasheer Fleming leading the way.
That said, it might not be worth it. Booker, Green, Dillon Brooks, and the rest of the Suns’ current roster likely aren’t good enough to compete in the West. But at this point, trading Booker may do more damage than it would be worth it.
Booker has committed his entire career to the Suns organization. And, in turn, they have committed to him. Despite their many failures and misguided moves, there’s one thing the Suns cannot be accused of: Not trying.
Maybe if the Suns got lucky in the lottery, getting their 2027 and 2029 picks back in a Booker trade with the Rockets would be worth it. They could get franchise centerpieces. Building blocks for the organization.
But is that risk worth giving up on Booker? Losing a decade of loyalty? The chance to cement Booker as a Suns legend forever? Probably not. They’re better off keeping Booker and rolling into next season with him leading the way.