When the Phoenix Suns traded Kevin Durant to Houston, there were calls from outside the organization to blow everything up — trade Devin Booker, trade or waive Bradley Beal, strip it down to the studs and rebuild.
That was never a consideration inside the organization. It’s not how owner Mat Ishbia operates, he wants to push to win sooner rather than later (plus the Suns don’t control their own first-round pick until 2032, so tanking isn’t a great plan). It’s also not what Devin Booker wanted. He’s loyal and wants to be a Suns icon, playing his entire career for one franchise (like his idol, Kobe Bryant).
That’s why the Suns and Booker have agreed to a two-year, $145 million max contract extension, a story first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN. Booker has three years remaining on his current contract. These two years are added to the end of the contract, keeping Booker with the Suns through the summer of 2030. Booker will make $70.1 million in 2028-29, and $75.7 million in 2029-30 (in reality, those numbers will likely come in slightly lower than that because the cap is not expected to keep rising at 10% a year, next year’s projection is 7%).
This was an expected move. Booker, a four-time All-Star, averaged 25.6 points and 7.1 assists a game last season for the Suns, although his 3-point shooting slipped to 33.2% (after the season he owned that and said he needed to improve next season).
Booker, 28, is the anchor of a Suns team that has seen numerous changes this offseason. The Suns traded Durant and reportedly will buy out Beal soon (it has been “soon” for a few days now, which is something to watch). Out of the Durant trade, the Suns added Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, and with the No. 10 pick selected Duke center Khaman Maluach. They will all be coached by first-time coach Jordan Ott, who takes over for the fired Mike Budenholzer. Even all the way at the ladder of the organization, James Jones was pushed aside as GM (he has taken over as the Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations, for the NBA league office, replacing Joe Dumars), and Brian Gregory is now the general manager — with Ishbia saying he would be even more hands-on.
There is a lot of work to do to get the Suns back to the NBA Finals, where they were four years ago. Whatever happens with the Suns in the coming years, we know now Booker will be a part of it.
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