When the Phoenix Suns drafted Devin Booker at No. 13 overall in the 2015 NBA draft, even the most bullish fans couldn’t have expected Book would go on to become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
With more than 17,000 career points, Booker is also the leading scorer of his draft class. He's behind only No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns in that class in terms of win shares. Booker and Towns were teammates under head coach John Calipari at Kentucky.
It’s now fair to say at least 11 teams regret not selecting the sharpshooting Booker when they were on the clock. Former Detroit Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy recently let it be known where his thoughts lie.
Speaking on The Zach Lowe Show podcast, Van Gundy lamented not taking Booker when he was with Detroit.
“It always drives me crazy when people talk about Devin Booker,” Van Gundy told Lowe. “I have great respect for the guy, and if I had drafted him in Detroit I might still be coaching, Zach.”
Van Gundy didn’t stop there, making it abundantly clear he regrets that draft blunder.
“Every time Devin Booker has a great game … I kick myself, physically kick myself to make sure I feel that pain,” he said.
Lowe asked Van Gundy to clarify who his choice was back in 2015, which was former Arizona Wildcat star Stanley Johnson at No. 8 overall. Johnson wasn’t the best outside shooter, so his game had a difficult time translating into the shifting NBA landscape.
Johnson played eight seasons in the league, four of those with Detroit where he averaged 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 37.2% from the field and an ugly 29.2% from 3-point range.
“I passed on Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell and, umm, and that’s why I’m broadcasting now,” Van Gundy said.
Now, that decision alone didn’t doom Van Gundy’s tenure as Detroit’s leader on the sidelines and in the front office … but it certainly didn’t help his case.
Johnson is now out of the league while Booker (and Mitchell) continue going strong as both All-Star and All-NBA caliber shooting guards.
The Pistons eventually got things figured out after selecting Cade Cunningham at No. 1 overall in the 2021 NBA draft. The 6-foot-6 guard out of Oklahoma State is now blossoming as Detroit starts to make some noise under head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. The Pistons and Suns are among the two biggest surprises in the NBA this year. Detroit at the time of writing is 17-5, good for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Van Gundy’s no stranger to self-deprecating humor, so at least he can laugh about his draft goof 10 years later.
Suns fans can't give SVG too much grief, though. They definitely don't regret the Booker selection, but he's one of the few draft picks in recent history that Phoenix wouldn't take a mulligan on.