Devin Booker Thought The Heat Were Going To Draft Him In 2015

Devin Booker reveals the moments before his draft day.

4 Min Read

Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

In a recent appearance on the Backyard podcast, Suns star Devin Booker admitted that he thought the stars were aligned for him to join the Heat as a rookie in 2015. According to Booker, he was already looking for places to live nearby before realizing he was going to the Suns instead.

“I was hoping to go to Miami. Miami was my best workout and then Pat Riley came and did an interview and said ‘We’re looking for a Klay Thompson-type player, we need to up our shooting.’ I just shot 40% in college I’m looking like ‘Oh yeah I’m looking at spots right by the arena.'”

Booker was drafted by the Suns with the 13th overall pick in 2015. After an impressive season at Kentucky, where he averaged 10.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game on 47% shooting, he emerged on the national radar as one of the top prospects of his class.

In the aftermath of LeBron James’ departure, the Miami Heat earned the 10th pick that summer and they considered it a crucial chance to build a contender in the East. And with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh going into the final stage of their careers, they needed some fresh young legs to help build a better future.

As a young and eccentric sharpshooter, Booker checked all the boxes for the Heat and he would have made a fine addition in the backcourt. But instead of making the move, the Heat chose to pick Justise Winslow instead, who only lasted a few seasons before being sent somewhere else.

Booker wouldn’t get picked duntil three posts later, when the Suns finally called his name to walk the stage. Ever since, Booker has proven himself as a superstar in the highest degree. Not only is he a 4x All-Star in the league, he’s also a starter for Team USA in the Olympics this summer.

Looking back it’s hard to say what would be different had the Heat drafted Booker. They would have likely handed him the keys pretty quickly, and Dwyane Wade himself would have been tasked with mentoring the young shooting guard to maximize his game.

Once he ascended to stardom, Devin would have become the face of Heat culture and team executive Pat Riley likely would have pulled all the tricks to get him some help.

Alas, none of it was meant to be for the 27-year-old from Michigan. The Suns were the ones who believed in Booker and they’ve seen that faith rewarded through the loyalty of Booker, one of the NBA’s top young scorers.

Now, the Suns owe it to their guy to do whatever they can in pursuit of a title. Already, team owner Mat Ishbia has made some ground-breaking trades to bring in Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and others. He also brought in championship coach Mike Budenholzer to instill his well-respected gameplan.

Ultimately, however, it falls on Booker to carry the Suns to prosperity. With just one Finals appearance on his record so far, Booker will have a lot to prove next season and the pressure will be on him to get the Suns over the top and finally have a breakout moment in the playoffs.

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Nico Martinez is a veteran staff writer for Fadeaway World from Brooklyn, New York. He joined Fadeaway World in 2016 and is currently residing in Columbia, South Carolina. Nico holds a degree in Sports Management from Columbia International University where he built a strong foundation in the inner workings of sports media and management. Nico's contributions have significantly enhanced the credibility and depth of Fadeaway World's content, earning him recognition across the sports journalism community. His work has been discussed in prestigious publications like Sports Illustrated. A dedicated follower of LeBron James, Nico often leads coverage on news related to the basketball star. With nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, Nico consistently provides comprehensive and timely basketball news, engaging a wide audience of basketball enthusiasts.Nico's most desired player to interview, past or present, is Kevin Durant. He is particularly keen on asking Durant if he has any regrets about his career, especially concerning his departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and why he engages so much with fans on social media. 
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