The Phoenix Suns have poured all of their resources into trying to win with Devin Booker this coming season, and any regression on the 45 wins and first round exit of a year ago should have them contemplating the unthinkable: a trade.
Suns must cash in on Booker while at his peak if season flames out
It is the difficult conversation that nobody wants to have in The Valley. One made worse by the Golden State Warriors' apparent love of Booker, as well as their coach, Steve Kerr, thoroughly enjoying working with the Suns' star for Team USA. That admiration worryingly went both ways, as recently revealed by Tim Kawakami on the Warriors Plus/Minus Podcast.
Thanks to the reckless abandon with which the Suns have traded first-round picks in pursuit of winning now, the only way to get out of the current spot they find themselves in is by trading Booker for a haul of future first-round picks and young players with upside from a team like the Warriors.
Maybe that won't be necessary, and Miles Bridges will, in fact, be the missing piece who was worth giving up a 2033 unprotected first-round pick for. He's certainly an upgrade at the four compared to last season, but he is also 28 years old, has baggage away from the court, and will be looking for an extension as soon as possible.
Dillon Brooks was the perfect co-star next to Booker last time out, but there is every chance his 20.2 points per night output was as good as it is ever going to get for him in the NBA. He does unlock new lineups for the Suns in the wake of Mark Williams requiring shoulder surgery, but Phoenix could not be any more in on a roster that doesn't look like it has much more left to give.
They boast a ton of competent veterans and brilliant value signings such as Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, but that can only take you so far. The Suns won't catch opponents off guard like they did last time out, while rushing along 19-year-old center prospect Khaman Maluach in the wake of the Williams injury could end in disaster.
No shame in Suns winding up this era of basketball if they falter
While nobody wants to see Booker leave—himself seemingly included—failure to advance to the second round of the playoffs at the minimum could mean calling time on this era in The Valley.
Booker would get a chance to win a ring elsewhere, which fans could not begrudge him, while the organization would get some of their future back.
We could be entering a do-or-die season with Booker as the franchise cornerstone. Looking around at the team assembled next to him, it is hard not to be worried about how the 2026-27 season could unfold.
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