The Suns want Booker in Phoenix long term, but should they?
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There’s a good chance Kevin Durant is not on the Phoenix Suns by the end of the month, and the Valley may try to do everything they can to get Bradley Beal and his two years left of his maximum with a no trade clause off the team, but what’s continued to be clear is that Devin Booker isn’t expected to be going anywhere.
In fact, NBA Insiders Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst have recently reported that Phoenix is expected to offer Booker a two-year $150 million contract extension and NBA Insider Shams Charania reported that he was “involved in the search process during the final stages” of the team’s hiring of new head coach Jordan Ott and he “stamped him as his top choice.”
Suns franchise cornerstone Devin Booker was involved in the search process during the final stages and stamped Ott as his top choice as well, sources said. Ott has been on NBA coaching staffs with the Hawks, Nets, Lakers and Cavaliers since 2012. https://t.co/zMNBy9lHrA
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 4, 2025
If Booker signs the extension, whether the Suns want Booker there for the entirety of it or not, signing him long-term will make him more valuable to both the Suns and other teams. Unlike Damian Lillard, who signed an extension a year before the Portland Trail Blazers traded him, Booker is still in his 20s and relies less on athleticism, so a team would be less likely to be concerned about his productivity at the back end of the deal. It would be more similar to Jaylen Brown, who signed a max extension two years ago with the Boston Celtics. Just like Booker, Brown is 28 and by the end of his deal appears likely to be playing at the level he is now.
Whether the Suns want Booker around for the long haul or want to flip him soon, signing him to an extension would get them more of a return than him not signing one. Kevin Durant appears to be on the way out, and Phoenix is likely to get a solid return for him, but the Suns will likely still be without their own draft picks for the foreseeable future and are primed to still be in a difficult spot to build the team around Booker. However, as is talked about with coaching firings and trading away stars, the grass is not always greener on the other side.
The New Orleans Pelicans have continued to struggle since trading away Anthony Davis in 2019, and the start to the post-Luka Dončić era for the Dallas Mavericks looked bleak until they miraculously got the number one pick in the Draft Lottery. However, there are also times when trading a star player at the right time reaps great results…just ask the Oklahoma City Thunder how the Paul George trade has gone so far.
Amid rumor after rumor and loss after loss, Booker has shown consistent loyalty to the Suns and their fans. Owner Mat Ishbia has made it abundantly clear that he’s who the team is building around, but if you were Brian Gregory, James Jones, and crew, what would you do with Devin Booker long-term?
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