NBA Rumors: Devin Booker Won't Request Trade from Suns Amid Knicks Buzz

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said back in late April that Devin Booker wanted to be in New York, ostensibly to play for the Knicks. But more recent reporting would suggest that Booker isn't prepared to push for a trade from the Phoenix Suns.

At least not yet.

"I continue to hear that there is no Devin Booker, like, trade request coming," ESPN's Zach Lowe said on his The Lowe Post podcast Monday (51:36 mark). "You know, not in the foreseeable future."

That's good news for the Suns—Booker is absolutely the franchise's most important player.

Kevin Durant remains an incredibly effective player, but he's 35 years old and at the point of his career where it wouldn't be shocking if he started to show signs of decline. Bradley Beal had a rough first season in Phoenix but is virtually un-tradable given his massive contract and prohibitive no-trade clause.

So if the Suns are going to reverse course from a disappointing 2023-24 campaign, it will be Booker who leads that charge.

The 27-year-old is a four-time All-Star who led the Suns in assists (6.9 APG) this past season, serving as the de facto point guard, and tied with Durant for the team lead in scoring (27.1 PPG). He's the team's best player and is firmly in his prime years.

But he was also the player who led the Suns out of the darkness, helping the organization end a 10-year playoff drought back in the 2019-20 campaign. The team has undergone plenty of changes since, but the constant has been Booker.

Despite the disappointment of this year's 49-33 campaign and first-round sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, it was the organization's fourth straight playoff appearance. Booker remains the tip of that spear and the face of the franchise.

But the question is how the team will rebuild around him after the Big 3 of Booker, Durant and Beal left the Suns with little depth. That, combined with no true point guard or rim-protecting center, made the Suns one of the most top-heavy, unbalanced rosters in the NBA. It didn't help that Beal didn't play like a star, making the Suns even less dangerous.

There is still talent in Phoenix, and time to figure out a better roster construction. A new head coach in Mike Budenholzer should help. It appears Booker will afford the Suns more patience, but a very important summer looms.