Phoenix Suns and Devin Booker future, Digi Mart USA News: The clock is ticking for the Phoenix Suns as they try to build a winner around Devin Booker. The Suns fell to just 1-5 on the season after a 132-119 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night, the first half of a back-to-back.
Being struggling this early does not mean Phoenix cannot figure things out in the near future, but confidence is not high at the moment. One possible outcome being discussed is an eventual trade that would end the Booker era in Phoenix, and the question is whether that could become imminent.
To the credit of the Suns’ front office, the team has found high-impact players at economical rates over the last two seasons. However, the avenues to genuinely climb into contention in the Western Conference remain narrow.
Howard Beck of The Ringer raised the central issue when pondering whether the partnership is truly permanent.
Beck wrote: “Booker is 30, still firmly in his prime. How much more of this can he take?
How much longer can Phoenix afford to keep him (and his massive contract) given the results? The Suns aren’t getting anywhere with him, but they could reset and restock their draft capital by trading him.”
These are reasonable stances to take. The Milwaukee Bucks reached a breaking point with Giannis Antetokounmpo, so the idea of a split is not unprecedented.
There is no indication that Booker is prepared to step away from his commitment to the city or to seek an opportunity to win an elusive NBA title elsewhere.
Trading Booker is not a simple process. Multiple roadblocks exist, including finding a contender able to execute a trade without compromising its structure or pushing into the second apron.
The first-round draft picks Phoenix would receive in return are likely to fall in the back half of the first round, which lowers their average value.
Staying in Phoenix may also be the best option from Booker’s perspective. Damian Lillard of the Blazers is an example of a player who left his longtime franchise only to return.
Whether other pastures are really greener is a question both the Suns and Booker will need to answer as trade speculation continues across NBA circles.
