A new rumor that must be taken with a sizable grain of salt claims that Devin Booker wants out of Phoenix and would love to wear an orange and blue New York Knicks uniform next season.
Heading into the NBA games today the Phoenix Suns are not preparing for another game in their opening-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves because the team saw their season came to an embarrassing conclusion on Sunday. The Suns had the difficult task of facing the Wolves to start the 2024 NBA Playoffs and getting swept showed the three-headed scoring experiment they tried this season failed miserably.
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Devin Booker stats (2023-24): 27.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 36% 3PT
Their sad performance in this postseason has kicked the door wide open to all sorts of speculation, including the firing of head coach Frank Vogel and Kevin Durant possibly seeking out another trade this summer. However, homegrown superstar Devin Booker is one player most assume won’t be going anywhere. Well, not so fast.
Following their four-game sweep, popular ESPN NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith made a wild claim on a Monday edition of “First Take” that Booker wants to be playing in Madison Square Garden next season.
“From what I’m being told — I don’t know if it’ll ever happen — Devin Booker wants to be in New York. That’s what I’m being told,” Smith said. “Now, he might deny it — I haven’t spoken to him. I’m just telling you the scuttlebutt in NBA circles is that brother wants to be in New York.”
What might a Devin Booker trade to the New York Knicks look like?
The success Donte DiVincenzo had in 2023-24 shows that Devin Booker would be an outstanding fit with the Knicks. Furthermore, he would give them the second high-level scorer and finisher they could really use with Julius Randle having a bit of a history with injuries and disappointing in the postseason — he has missed their current run with a shoulder injury.
If the Suns were open to trading Booker — which is probably unlikely — the Knicks would certainly have trade chips that could appeal to Phoenix. In terms of current players, the Knicks could send 2023-24 All-Star Julius Randle — who is still only 29 and should fully recover from his dislocated shoulder — and Mitchell Robinson, who would give them the defensive beast and rebounder they desperately needed this past season.
Furthermore, fast-rising backup guard Miles McBride could be added to a deal to give the Suns depth or a potential young starting PG. Those three would help to make the contracts in a possible blockbuster trade matchup. Along with that, New York has four first-round picks this year and two in 2025 to potentially add to a deal.
Again, the Suns will probably hold on to Devin Booker, but a starting five of Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Miles McBride is formidable. And they would then have a bench full of hungry first-round picks from the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Knicks also have their own questions this summer and re-signing OG Anunoby will be a top priority before any potential trades for Booker, or even Donovan Mitchell.
