Devin Booker Says Suns Have the Talent to Win NBA Title After Kevin Durant Trade

Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker "100 percent" believes the team can win an NBA title after it acquired Kevin Durant.

"Once you get a taste of Finals experience and having that under your belt, that's all that you want," Booker told reporters. "We have one goal. We know it's not going to be easy to get there, but we feel we have the talent. We have the mindset and everything it takes right here in this gym."

The Suns reached the NBA Finals in 2021 and had the league's best regular-season record the following season, but the squad fell short in the playoffs with a second-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

After the team's blockbuster deal to acquire Durant last week, the Suns are one of the favorites to win the 2023 championship.

The Suns could still have a difficult road, entering Tuesday in fourth place in the Western Conference. The Denver Nuggets have been impressive all season, while the Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers are among the teams in the West that got better at the deadline.

Durant has also been out with a knee injury since early January, and he's been ruled out through at least the All-Star break, which ends Feb. 23.

With Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson going to the Brooklyn Nets in the Durant trade, depth could be a significant issue, especially in the short term.

The Suns still have all the pieces needed to compete for a championship.

Durant was selected to his 13th All-Star Game this year and was averaging 29.7 points per game before his injury. Booker is an elite offensive player in his own right with averages of 26.6 points, 5.5 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game this season. Add in a future Hall of Famer at point guard in Chris Paul and a top two-way center in Deandre Ayton, and the starting lineup can match up with any team in the NBA.

It's clear Phoenix won't consider this season a success with anything less than a championship.