Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker is one of the few NBA stars left in the league who has only ever played for one team. Since being drafted in 2015, Booker has been the star of the show in Phoenix, and he’s committed to sticking around, no matter how bad it gets.
“It’s not always greener on the other side,” said Booker, via The Ringer’s Logan Murdock. “People always want to leave their situation and end up in a worse situation, and then they go missing. You’ll never have the love like you have from the team that drafted you.”
Booker, 28, has long been considered among the best guards in the league. In nine years in the NBA, Booker is averaging 24.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game on 46.7% shooting. The Suns have the NBA’s highest payroll this season, but the results have been less than ideal so far.
“It’s upsetting,” Booker said. “Ultimately, when you’re playing with this type of talent, you expect a championship. And our first year linking up together was our best run at it, winning two games [against] Denver. And ever since then, it’s kind of been downhill.”
As an elite scorer and ball handler, Booker’s game has never been questioned, but his leadership is being challenged right now in what has been a miserable season for the Suns. At 35-40 (losers of three straight games), the Suns are 11th in the West and currently sitting outside the NBA playoff picture. They are a full game out of the final play-in spot despite being fully healthy for most of the season.
Between their poor play on the court and heated altercations on the sidelines, there has been no shortage of problems this season, and rumor has it that Kevin Durant could be the next one to go.
While Durant reportedly wants to stay with the Suns, we know that their first loyalty is to Booker, who shares a similar mindset to team owner Mat Ishbia. The team will do whatever it can to help improve its chances of winning the next title.
“I’ll never be in a rebuild again,” said Booker. “We’re always going to be competing and trying to get to a championship.”
A championship is likely out of the question for the Suns this season, but Booker isn’t thinking short-term. As an established star in the prime of his career, Devin is staying the course, and he doesn’t believe things will get better for him if he forces a trade and ends up somewhere else.
In an era of player empowerment and ring chasing, Devin Booker doesn’t want to take the easy way out. He’s fully committed to the Suns, and he wants the experience of leading the team that drafted him to the NBA championship.
Whether it’s with Durant or without Durant, Booker is here to stay, and the franchise belongs to him. Even after a difficult season, he still believes that Phoenix is the best place for him, and it’s up to them to make that loyalty mean something by building a team around him that can help accomplish his goals.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.
