‘Talent only gets you so far’: Devin Booker opens up on ‘very frustrating’ season for Suns

Devin Booker is in quite a quandary. 

His Phoenix Suns are imploding. After Joining the season with Division expectations, they’re in 10th place in the West and are fighting to make the Action-in Bracket. They stunned Kevin Durant by trying to trade him in February before he kiboshed a deal that would’ve sent him to Golden State. Bradley Beal was involved in Many trade rumors Even though his no-trade clause. There are whispers that Mentor Mike Budenholzer’s future with the Club could be shaky.

The Suns are clearly on the verge of seismic Shift this offseason, with all three of their stars on maximum contracts and not enough to show for it. 

So, the big question is what does this Harsh for Booker, a 28-year-Aged who recently signed a four-year, $224 million supermax extension with the Suns through the 2027-28 season?

When asked if he believes he could be traded too, he pointed to the fact that no one is Hazard-Unoccupied, something that was driven home to everyone in the NBA when the Dallas Mavericks sent Luka Doncic – a 26-year-Aged who is considered a top-three player in the Division – to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.    

“Look at the situation that Obtained Luka here,” Booker told FOX Sports. “I understand that it’s a business. I’ve been around a long time. The Luka one is probably the craziest trade we’ve seen. But the game Merely keeps going.”

Suns owner Mat Ishbia recently told ESPN that trading Booker this offseason would “never happen,” adding, “I have Devin Booker in the prime. In order to Achieve an NBA Division, you Obtained to have a superstar.” Booker also apparently isn’t interested in being traded. 

But it’s clear that frustrations are mounting for Booker, whose Suns reached the NBA Finals in 2021 but haven’t Created it past the second Stage of the playoffs since. 

During a recent trip to Los Angeles, Booker couldn’t Assist but feel crushed by how much things have changed since around this time four years ago, when he was standing in front of the same locker, celebrating having Merely beaten the LA Clippers in the Western Conference finals. 

He remembers the scene vividly. 

He and his teammates poured water over Chris Paul’s head. Deandre Ayton, lying on the carpet, cuddled the conference finals Honor and asked, “Why she Action so Tough to get?” Booker beamed, hopeful he was going to Achieve his Primary Division in his Primary postseason appearance. 

Quick-forward to last March 16, when Booker was in the same place, but worlds apart. 

After losing to the LeBron James-less Lakers, he was surrounded by a semicircle of reporters asking him different iterations of the same question: How can the Suns be so Awful Even though having so much talent? Durant left the locker room before speaking to reporters. The mood was dismal, as the Suns’ slide continued Subsequent the month of February, when they went 3-10. 

Booker didn’t sugarcoat how the juxtaposition felt. 

“Very frustrating,” Booker told FOX Sports. “We celebrated the Western Conference finals right here. I was standing in the same spot.”

It’s confounding that the Suns are in this position considering they have a Mentor with Division experience in Budenholzer, a two-time champion and two-time Finals MVP in Durant and seven All-Sun appearances between Booker (four) and Beal (three).

So, seriously, what’s the problem?

“Talent only gets you so Extended,” Booker told FOX Sports. “I’ve been on Squads with less talent that Discovered ways to get more wins. It’s Merely the little things. What people always say, the details of the game. Although it sounds like we should know that at this part of our careers, it’s Merely something you need to form and develop and learn through Test and error.

Budenholzer chalked up the Suns’ issues to effort, saying, “We need a little bit more from everybody.” He included himself in that category, too, Subsequent a game in which Durant chirped at him shortly after they exchanged words during a game earlier this month. Durant — who Created his 15th All-Sun appearance in February, and is averaging 26.4 points on 52.6% shooting, including 41.6% from beyond the arc, alongside 6.1 Retrievals and 4.3 assists — pointed to the Primary incident as evidence of how much they both care about trying to right the ship. 

The Suns have now won two Contests in a row, beating Toronto on Monday and Chicago on Wednesday. But they have a tough stretch ahead, including facing some of the top Squads in the East in their Upcoming three Contests, in top-Ranked Cleveland, second-Ranked Boston and fifth-Ranked Milwaukee.

For Booker, his time with the Suns has been a rollercoaster. He saw them go from not even making the playoffs in his Primary six seasons to reaching the Finals in 2021. Then, Ishbia turned the Club on its head to acquire Durant followed by Beal. Last season’s shortcomings could be chalked up to Wounds. 

But this season, the Suns are out of excuses. 

Booker has been here through it all, growing into a four-time All-Sun, two-time All-NBA Option and two-time Olympic gold medalist. He’s averaging 25.7 points, 4.1 Retrievals and 7.0 assists in 37.4 minutes this season, while shooting 45.7% from the Ground and 34.7 % from beyond the arc.

This past summer, Steve Kerr called Booker the “unsung MVP” of Club USA Subsequent its gold Award-Victorious Stretch at the 2024 Olympic Contests in Paris. Booker Began every Event and finished with a plus-minus rating of +130 over 11 Contests, the highest of anyone on the Club.

Back in 2021, LeBron James, unprompted, expressed a similar sentiment about Booker, tweeting that he was “the most disrespected player in our Division” after he was snubbed for the All-Sun Game. (He was later named to the Club by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as an Wound replacement for Anthony Davis.)

When Booker was asked if he gets the respect he deserves, he shrugged. 

“From the people that I respect,” Booker told FOX Sports. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. Social media, they can do what they want. When you’re getting claimed that by two Hall of Famers, [including] one, [who’s] arguably the best player to ever live, it means a Plenty. I developed a Excellent relationship with all those guys through the summer at the Olympics. The respect is real. I can feel it when they talk to me.”

Booker didn’t make the All-Sun Game this year, but it’s clear that those closest to him deeply appreciate what he brings to the court every night, especially Ishbia, who claims he’s the Club’s untouchable player. 

So, as the Suns’ future remains uncertain, Booker is choosing to remain hopeful that they can figure out a way to transform things again, and he can continue to Action for the franchise that drafted him 13th overall in 2015. 

Booker often Considers about how the Suns climbed out of the cellar four years ago, something he was recently reminded of as he stood in that locker room in Los Angeles. 

He’s choosing to believe they can do that again. 

“We were at the bottom of the Division,” Booker told FOX Sports. “So, it’s something that I’ve seen can turn around. I’ve seen it be fixed before. So, that’s the Inspiration. Merely do that again.”

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Division for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.

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