The Phoenix Suns have attacked what is a crucial offseason for them as they look to get back to winning ways, and after an extensive search have their new head coach in Jordan Ott. His links to Michigan State - just like owner Mat Ishbia and General Manager Brian Gregory - might be troubling, but his work with the Cleveland Cavaliers as an assistant there is anything but.
Ott has a strong reputation around the league, and it will now be on him to build a roster around Devin Booker. We already know that Kevin Durant won't be part of that re-tooling process, and every day it feels like another team is linked with a trade for the 36-year-old. Depending on who you believe, Durant himself may have already chimed in on where he thinks he's headed to next.
Booker looks likely to sign a contract extension this summer.
Despite having a down year last season - one in which he was not named an All-Star and did not sniff an All-NBA selection - Booker is a 28-year-old superstar in this league. We've already seen if the Suns pair him with a big man who can protect the rim (Deandre Ayton), and a high-level floor general (Chris Paul), plus defensive wings (Mikal Bridges), that he is capable of leading The Valley to the NBA Finals.
With the current iteration of the final series the Suns last went to in 2021 having a down day between Games 1 and 2, Marc Stein took to his always informative substack to shed some light on the situation in Phoenix. Yes Durant is still likely to be traded in the coming weeks, while Ott has his first official press conference scheduled for Tuesday.
But nestled in amongst all that was the news that Booker is eligible this offseason to sign a two-year, $150 million extention on his current contract that runs until 2028. In that final year, he will make a whopping $61 million - but according to Stein - it is widely expected that Booker will tack on those extra two years to take him through to the end of the decade at some point this summer.
This is a move that makes sense all round, and it is not like Booker doesn't deserve the money. By the time he is finished in Phoenix, he might just be the best player in franchise history. He should get as much money as he can while he is in his prime, while from the perspective of the organization they are obviously going to do right by the star player who has always stuck with them.
Booker has never gone public on any frustrations he might have, despite the additions of Durant and Bradley Beal being a misstep in his quest for a championship. He was always involved in the latter stages of the search for the next head coach, and also signed off on Ott eventually getting the job. The importance of that cannot be overstated.
This wasn't just a case of Ishbia wanting another Michigan guy - because even if it was - he wanted Booker to be cool with the hire as well. Say this part quietly, but locking himself into an even longer deal also makes him a more appealing trade prospect down the road as well, should it ever get to that. For Suns fans though - in what has been a rocky couple of seasons - this is welcome news.