Grading what a speculated Devin Booker trade to the New York Knicks would look like if it happened to come to fruition this offseason.
After an embarrassing showing in the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Phoenix Suns must figure out what the next natural step forward will be for the franchise. In theory, the team would slightly improve the roster around their big 3 this summer. But with little-to-no draft capital, no cap space, and very little flexibility beyond that, that's almost impossible for the Suns to do.
Because of that, nothing is certain for the Suns heading into the offseason. Perhaps not even for Devin Booker.
Recent speculation suggests that Booker could be eyeing to play for the New York Knicks in the future. While that was easily brushed off by nonsense uttered on sports argumentative television, it may not be that outlandish of a thought.
Why a Devin Booker trade isn't that outlandish of an idea
The Suns are in a difficult spot heading into the offseason. They may have an extremely talented roster but not one that is on the level of other prime contenders in the Western Conference. That leaves the Suns' front office with a huge decision. Do they continue to try to run into a dead-end wall with this flawed roster construction, or do they pivot toward a rebuild or retooling of the roster? Such a move would likely have to include a trade of Booker or Kevin Durant.
Bradley Beal has a no-trade clause and it's difficult to imagine any other team willingly making a move for him after his performance in the playoffs. If the Suns wanted to pivot toward a rebuild, there's a strong argument that trading Booker could be the best way to accomplish that.
If the Suns were to trade Booker, there's one natural landing spot - the New York Knicks. There's already speculative interest on both sides. The question is, if it were to come to that, what exactly would a Booker to the Knicks trade look like? We take a peak.