An NBA analyst suggested that Devin Booker be acquired by the San Antonio Spurs from the Phoenix Suns during the offseason.
The following sensational trade proposal was put out by Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report for the Suns and Spurs:
The exchange: Devin Booker is traded by the San Antonio Spurs to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Keldon Johnson, Malaki Branham, Zach Collins, Blake Wesley, the No. 4 and No. 8 picks, a 2025 first-round selection (via ATL), and a 2027 first-round pick (via ATL).
The Minnesota Timberwolves swept the Suns in the opening round of the playoffs, despite the Suns winning 49 games this season.
The Spurs, meanwhile, only managed 22 victories.
“The Spurs have so much more to offer that it almost doesn’t matter what names and picks are going to the Suns here,” Buckley wrote. Victor Wembanyama might be the only person made off-limits if Booker was actually on the table. (But requesting Devin Vassell might kill the negotiations, or at least drastically cut down on the amount of assets bundled with him.)
This seems to be about in line with Booker’s value, particularly what the Spurs would be willing to pay for him. To work with Wembanyama, they require a key creator, and Booker is among the greatest in the industry. In just his fourth season of professional basketball, he averaged at least 25 points, five assists, and two three-pointers each contest.
There are just eight players on record who have ever accomplished the feat.A Booker-Wembanyama combination would be a formidable NBA Jam-style duo, as well as the cornerstone of a serious competitor for many years to come.
Once more, the Spurs probably won’t have a chance to sign Booker this summer, but before pursuing other key options, it might be worth a few phone calls to confirm.
For the upcoming season, Booker will earn $49.4 million. In July 2022, he inked a $221 million, four-year contract deal with the Suns.
One of the NBA’s top scorers, Booker shot 49.2% from the field, 36.4% from beyond the arc, and 88.6% from the free-throw line this season, averaging 27.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists.
Booker, who will turn 28 in October, averages 24.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists for his career. Against the Boston Celtics in the 2016–17 campaign, he scored 70 points.
After just one season, the Suns let go of Frank Vogel and brought in Mike Budenholzer. With the largest payroll of any NBA team, $209 million, the organization goes into the offseason with a projected $116 million luxury tax penalty.
