Over the last few years, we’ve seen plenty of player movement in the NBA. Will Devin Booker be the next big name to demand a trade
It is crazy to begin to think about the talent of Devin Booker that has been buried in Phoenix for five years. He has improved his game every season that he has been in the league. He is doing everything he can and is getting no results with zero playoff appearances and zero All-Star selections.
One could make the case that all this is due to the small market that he has been stuck in since he came out of Kentucky after one year. After his reaction to not making the All-Star team yet again, it is not hard to tell that he is clearly frustrated with not getting the respect he deserves. He has no chance other than to be more assertive and demand a way out of Phoenix so he can play for a bigger market or a contender.
Now, he did just sign a five-year contract extension in the summer of 2018, but it is time for him to move on because, despite the young talent of Deandre Ayton and Kelly Oubre, it is clear the Suns are far from being a true contender – or even just a playoff pretender – in the Western Conference.
Many would love to see him with another big name or perhaps even in a bigger market. One team that would be interesting would be the New York Knicks. They desperately need a new start and a new star. However, Booker’s big extension makes all that more improbable.
There have been talks about possibly joining his friends Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but again, it would be extremely surprising to see Booker anywhere other than Phoenix for the foreseeable future.
Unless, of course, he demands a trade and pressures the organization to move him. In today’s NBA, that’s really the only way to get to the place where you want.
But that remains seen. We’ve seen some of the biggest names in the game go the route of demanding a trade. However, as successful as it has become over the last few years it’s still extremely risky. Especially considering Booker’s contract situation.