With training camp for the Phoenix Suns right around the corner, speculation has swirled that the Golden State Warriors would love to have franchise cornerstone Devin Booker join them in the Bay Area. Not that fans in Phoenix have anything to worry about with this one, as owner Mat Ishbia has stated publicly on many occasions that he will not be trading Booker as long as he is in control of the organization.
Warriors' interest makes sense but doesn't threaten Suns
Booker and Warriors' Head Coach Steve Kerr enjoying their time together with Team USA, as noted by Bay Area journalist Tim Kawakami on the Warriors Plus/Minus Podcast, is normal, and the same is true of plenty of stars working with different coaches while on international duty.
Golden State also can't contend and is nearing the end of the most successful cycle in their history, so of course they would want to add Booker to prolong it.
Still, they don't have enough assets to seriously engage the Suns in trade talks, and it is ironic that their former player Jonathan Kuminga would have been a solid starting point in conversations had they taken place one year ago. He is long gone, and the Suns appear fortunate they never acquired him, as his value has continued to trend downward.
The main stumbling block for any Warriors pursuit will always be Ishbia, who has been aggressive in trying to make the Suns a contender since buying the franchise. Already this offseason, he has hilariously shut down talk of trading Booker to the Detroit Pistons, and every move they have made since he took charge has been taken with trying to help Booker contend.
There currently is no future in The Valley thanks to all of the win now moves they have made, an uncomfortable truth highlighted by injury to Mark Williams. Still, we are not at the point where Booker has asked out of Phoenix.
Warriors can only land Booker if he asks to be traded there
For the Suns, we are in Booker or bust territory. If they regress this coming season, we may reach the point where the soon-to-be 30-year-old decides he has a better shot at winning elsewhere.
Should that happen, and if he somehow decided the Warriors were the best team to achieve that goal, Ishbia could oblige. We've already seen him do right by Kevin Durant and not trade him back to his former team, and his feelings on Booker are a lot stronger than those the current Houston Rocket.
Given that Booker has never uttered a single word about being unhappy, and with Ishbia going to ride with Booker until the end, the likelihood of this happening is essentially zero.
The Warriors can keep dreaming, but the reality is Mat Ishbia won't be letting his prized asset head to The Bay Area anytime soon.
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