After his heroics with Team USA this summer in Paris at the Olympic Games - and for which he was universally praised - Devin Booker has been taking advantage of some much deserved time off. This started straight after the games in Paris, with Booker and Kevin Durant heading to the beaches of Europe for some rest and relaxation.
Booker has since returned to Arizona, and is enjoying himself away from the court. A call from the academy might not be on the cards - but if you haven't checked out his excellent video chronicling his time with the national team - you absolultely have to.
One of his former teammates recently headed to The Valley to hang out, and it is a player some fans will remember fondly.
He splits opinion like few other role players the Suns have had this century as well, and that player is Cameron Payne. The 30-year-old was part of the run to the NBA Finals back in 2021, and enjoyed probably his most productive spell in the league while in Phoenix.
There's a section of fans who love Payne for being a more than capable backup floor general, and who knocked down some big shots in the playoffs in the past. Booker clearly has a good relationship with his former teammate, as the pair have not only spent some time off the court in Flagstaff, they're working out together too.
Then there is the other side of the coin for Payne which disputes that at a time when the Suns needed a point guard last year, they didn't pick him up. Instead he split time between the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, and this coming season will be part of a fearsome looking New York Knicks roster.
Unfortunately for Booker, it doesn't look like he'll be getting his friend back in Phoenix anytime soon either. The addition of Tyus Jones is most certainly an upgrade, while it could be disputed that Monte Morris is also a better player to have in 2024-25. That being said, Payne did average over 10 points in three of his four seasons with the Suns, and over 4.5 assists on two occasions.
Then again, he hasn't been able to stick with a contender since leaving The Valley, and it is likely his value was at its highest there as he spent much of his time backing up a future Hall of Fame player in Chris Paul. The Suns have just had a fantastic offseason anyway, and the franchise have clearly moved on from Payne.