It wasn’t that long ago that you could define Devin Booker’s place in the hierarchy of the NBA as a “superstar”. He was winning in the postseason, on the cover of NBA2K, and had the inside track in the “best shooting guard in the NBA” argument. But times have changed, the waters around him have risen, and he now resides in the HOA where the stars live.
Devin Booker is a “star”, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Unless you make the argument that he’s being paid like a superstar, and therefore should perform like one. That’s a completely fair point, and one that I agree with. At the same time, he is still a star. If you want your team to be successful in this league, you need at least one of those.
It’s one of the primary reasons I don’t believe trading Devin Booker at this point is a reasonable or prudent move for the Phoenix Suns. What you’re likely getting back in a trade is a player (or two, or three) who isn’t a star, but rather a collection of assets that satisfy financial needs. You’ll receive draft picks, but they’re unlikely to become lottery selections. Considering the Suns don’t control enough of their own draft capital, there’s very little benefit in trying to survive a few losing seasons while waiting for those picks to return and for the dead money to come off the books. You’d be stuck in a state of perpetual losing. And that’s not good for your youth movement. You need a star, and Booker is that.
Booker is still a perennial All-Star and made an All-NBA Team just two seasons ago. But he’s also someone who hasn’t won a playoff game since 2023. Because of that, I can’t currently place the “superstar” label on him at this point in time.
The question is whether he can earn it back. And if so, what would it take?
The opportunity with the 2026-27 Suns will be there. With the addition of Miles Bridges and (hopefully) a healthy Jalen Green for the entire season, there should be more opportunities for Booker to score in an uncontested manner. Defenses have to account for gravity, and the door will be open for Booker, but he needs to do so more efficiently. That’s the key. If he can regain his efficient shooting, a return to superstar status is definitely in the cards.
Take last season, for example. I think everyone would agree it was a down year for Devin Booker from an efficiency standpoint. His 45.6% shooting from the field was his lowest since the 2017–18 season. He shot 33% from beyond the arc, marking the second consecutive season he finished in that range. But this is also a player who has shot 38.3% from three multiple times during his career, so it’s hardly outside the realm of possibility that he returns to that level.
What’s interesting is how small the margin really is between being viewed as a below-average three-point shooter and an above-average one. The average three-point average in the NBA last season? 36%. It would’ve taken only 15 more made three-pointers to raise his percentage from 33% to a very respectable 37%. That’s 45 additional points over the course of an entire season. Those 45 points would’ve increased his scoring average from 26.1 to 26.8 points per game. That’s it. That’s how thin the margin is between an underwhelming shooting season and one that’s viewed as efficient.
My point? It wouldn’t take much for Devin Booker to regain that efficiency. It’s only a few shots here and there. Granted, it’s the offseason, so we’re looking at this strictly through the lens of numbers, not situations. That’s an important distinction because there’s another area where Booker has an opportunity to improve, and that’s in the clutch. That’s where superstars separate themselves.
It’s also an area where Booker has faced challenges in recent seasons. When clutch time arrives, the weight of the offense too often falls solely on his shoulders, and opposing defenses know it. They load up on him, force difficult decisions, and make every possession as challenging as possible. That’s another opportunity for Booker to reclaim that superstar designation. Not to survive those situations. Thrive in them.
Theorizing how this offense should function next season, as the team could improve in the clutch by relying more on interior penetration and less on chuckin’ three-balls late. We must remember that the Suns were second in the NBA in three-pointers attempted during clutch moments. And they were 17th in points in the paint.
With Miles Bridges providing more penetration and Jalen Green playing more than 32 games and consistently attacking the paint, it’s reasonable to believe Booker will see more clean looks from beyond the arc. Defenses have to respect both Green and Bridges when they put the ball on the floor. As they penetrate, defensive gravity follows them. And that creates open opportunities for Devin Booker. If he capitalizes on a few more of those looks, the conversation surrounding his efficiency could change in a hurry.
The challenge is whether he can knock down those shots. Last season, Booker shot 30-of-92 on wide-open three-pointers, good for 32.6%. That number has to rise if his statistical output is going to rise with it. If it does, he’ll find himself back in the conversation as a superstar, at least from the standpoint of how he’s performing and the numbers that support that discussion.
But it’s important to remember that superstar status isn’t driven solely by statistics. It’s driven by production. It’s driven by the ability to elevate the players around you. Above all else, it’s driven by winning. Can Booker push the Suns far past their 38.5 projected win total this season? There isn’t a long list of superstars on losing teams. Players who put up gaudy numbers while their teams consistently lose tend to receive different labels. Like… looters in a riot?
I think he can. I’m part of the 42% who believe Devin Booker can regain that superstar status. Part of that is the optimism that naturally comes with being a fan. Part of it is because I believe the environment around him is going to create opportunities for him to elevate both his own game and the players around him.
Let’s not forget that Steve Nash didn’t win his first MVP until he was 30 years old. I’m not saying Booker is going to win an MVP. But I believe Booker can become a top-10 player in the league again if the pieces around him come together the way I think they can.
The path back to superstardom is there, but it runs through more than a percentage point or two. Booker has to rediscover his efficiency, elevate the talent around him, and push Phoenix back toward the top of the Western Conference. The numbers can reopen the conversation. Winning is what settles it. He doesn’t need to become a different player. He needs to remind everyone why the label once fit so comfortably and justify the 34.6% of the salary cap attached to his name. Because that is what superstars do. They make the production match the compensation.
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