Suns seemingly ignored Devin Booker's pleas with latest roster decision

The Phoenix Suns may have struck out on landing a top tier point guard this offseason, but it wasn't for the want of trying. Although Jordan Goodwin and Jared Butler are set to battle it out for the third spot in Phoenix - with Collin Gillespie occupying the second and Jalen Green rumored to be in top spot - the franchise did miss out on Marcus Smart.

They made a play for him before he decided to head to the Los Angeles Lakers instead, in what would have been a perfect fit. The Suns are quietly building a defensive-minded roster - and this guy is going to help a bunch - and Smart would have fit right in as he looks like he has a point to prove that he was once named Defensive Player of the Year for a reason.

Suns ignored Devin Booker's desire to reunite with Chris Paul.

Another player who the team could have seemingly brought back into the fold is none other than 40-year-old Chris Paul. The "Point God" was open to returning to either Phoenix or L.A. with the Clippers, as both were in close proximity to his family in Los Angeles. As you're probably aware, Paul has spent a lot of time away from them playing this game.

As Marc Stein reported on his substack after Paul was unveiled by the Clippers, Devin Booker was open to the idea of playing with Paul again. The pair led the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals - and as both a true point guard and veteran for the young players on the roster - it does not get any better. But the front office seemingly chose to ignore Booker on this one, passing on Paul altogether.

This is just the latest in a series of baffling decisions by the organization as they move on from the Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal era. Booker was recently awarded with a two-year, $145 million extension, that even gives him a player option in the second year to get out of there if he wants to. That didn't seem like just reward for a 36 win season.

But that also signalled that the Suns were going to do everything they could to make Booker happy, which is the right way to play this. Yet with the team not going to contend next season - and in need of a feel good story after the last couple of years - they chose to not entertain Booker's wish of once again playing with Paul in what is likely his final season. Talk about mixed signals.

Perhaps if the Suns had found a long-term option at the point this offseason, you could justify not doing this. But Goodwin or Butler are only going to be a stopgap for the next year or so, while Gillespie will be a backup for as long as he is in The Valley. Fans need something to cheer next season, and the return of Booker and Paul would have been it. To shoot that down is just bizarre.