The Phoenix Suns are having a better season than anyone expected after trading away Kevin Durant. Rather than pat themselves on the back, they should make the move that no one is expecting: trade away Devin Booker.
The Suns had a very busy offseason. They traded away Kevin Durant, waived and stretched Bradley Beal, drafted Khaman Maluach 10th overall and Rasheer Fleming 31st overall, and added Mark Williams to beef up their center rotation. Jordan Ott was hired as the team's latest head coach. The expected result of that flurry of activity was a year to reset; each of those moves had an eye toward the future.
The one move that seemed to compromise their future was giving Devin Booker a lucrative new contract extension. The four-time All-Star guard had just wrapped up the first year of a four-year maximum deal; he was still three full years from hitting free agency. There was zero urgency to commit more money to him.
Yet the organization wanted a PR win, or didn't want to upset Booker in the midst of pivoting away from a win-now stance. Either way, with Booker becoming eligible for a two-year extension, the Suns handed it to him: two years, $133 million, and a $69 million player option in 2029-30.
Booker certainly has a lot of name value around the league, and he has been the Suns' franchise player for a decade. What he has not been is a Top-5 player, a perennial MVP candidate. The history of guards in that 12-24 range in the league making top-of-league money is not a pretty one; how about Bradley Beal as a prime example?
Even this year, with the Suns a surprising 23-15, Booker is not even in the conversation as an All-Star Starter. He will probably make the All-Star Team as a reserve, but it's not a lock. The likes of Deni Avdija, Jamal Murray, Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Alperen Sengun, Julius Randle and Austin Reaves are all equally in the mix for the final few slots.
Saturday, January 10th marked the 6-month anniversary of Booker signing that extension, which means he is now trade eligible. Setting aside the optics for a moment, the best move for the franchise is obvious: sell high on Devin Booker and trade him right now.
The Suns should trade Devin Booker
Devin Booker is currently healthy, putting up solid numbers (25.5 points, 6.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds) and the Suns have a positive aura around them. With the trade market populated by the likes of Trae Young, LaMelo Ball and Ja Morant, all of whom come with significant red flags, Booker has a proven track record of playing at a high level in the regular season and playoffs and would look very attractive to teams in need of a superstar swing.
The Suns have to explore the trade market for Booker. The alternative is keeping him around, being decent over the next few years, and then just as they are ready to start building toward something significant, Booker's massive salary will hamstring their ability to build a contender.
Trade him now and the Suns can recoup the assets sent out in the original Kevin Durant deal. Perhaps such a deal can include the Houston Rockets (who have long coveted Devin Booker) or the Brooklyn Nets, who together control the next few drafts for the Suns.
If the market is tepid for Booker, keeping him could make sense - but if there is a team out there ready to pay up for a star guard who can be an offensive engine, the Suns have to seriously consider moving him.
That doesn't mean it will be an easy move. Suns fans love Booker, and rightfully so. He has been an ideal franchise icon -- with the exception that he doesn't quite bring that undeniable quality of an MVP candidate. Add in his injury history and that he is 29 years old, putting him well into his 30s when the Suns can reset their roster into a true contending unit, and the way forward becomes clearer.
As of Saturday, the Suns can trade Devin Booker. They should do so, now, before the combination of his age, injuries and contract means they have to look at a return like the Atlanta Hawks just got for Trae Young.
Phoenix has to trade him now - if they can stomach it. If not, they will regret not moving when they had the chance.