Keep or Trade Devin Booker in the off season?

Ghost of Kleine · Post #21 » by **Ghost of Kleine** » Sun Feb 23, 2025 3:49 am

Slim Charless wrote:Trade.

To Orlando for Franz or Paolo and picks.
To Houston for Amen, Jabari.
To SAS for Castle, Sochan and picks.
To Minny for Ant.
To Atlanta for Trae and picks.
To OKC for JDubb, Hartenstein, Topic and picks.

Ghost of Kleine · Post #22 » by **Ghost of Kleine** » Mon Feb 24, 2025 7:25 pm

Although I get the nostalgia and heartfelt intentions associated with keeping Booker and letting him retire as a sun! In keeping him, all we're really doing is low-end treadmilling right beyond the lottery (if lucky) but we'd still be wasting Bookers' remaining years without really achieving anything other than frustrating mediocrity. The best and most logical pathway for us to rebuild our entire franchisee back to respectability and legitimate competitive dominance is to trade both while they still have value and completely reconstruct our roster.

James Jones needs to go, but his contract expires this summer so hopefully Ishbia just doesn't pick it up and lets him walk! Coach Bud needs to go as well in the interest of a younger coach who will actually play and develop young talent! OR ELSE, sit him down and have a clear understanding of our expectations of him. But if he does agree to stay, then it will be critical to also hire a top-notch defensive coach as an assistant to him who can collaborate on defensive schemes. Now for the best possible KD and then Booker trades (to give us a bright future:

KD Trades (Top 3)

1- OKC
KD for Hartenstein/ Joe/ Dieng/Topic/ LAC 25' 1st (15th pick)/ PHI 25' 1st (protected 1-6).
2- DET
KD for Harris/ Thompson/ Fontecchio/ DET 27' 1st/ DET 29' 1st.

3- MIA
KD for Wiggins/ Robinson/ Ware/ Larsen/ MIA 28' 1st.
OR
KD for Rozier/Robinson/Jovic/ Jacquez/ GS 25' 1st (14th pick)/ MIA 29' 1st.

***SAS
KD for Vassell/ Barnes/ Sochan/ ATL 25' 1st (11th pick)/ ATL 26' 1st (swap rights) to give us a 1st round pick in 2026. :wink:

Booker Trades

1- HOU
Booker for J Green/ Landale/ Whitmore/ PHX 25' 1st/ PHX 27' 1st/ PHX 29' 1st.
OR
Booker for Van Vleet/ Smith Jr or Eason/ PHX 25' 1st/ PHX 27' 1st/ PHX 29' 1st.

2- DET
Booker for Stewart/ Thompson or Holland/ Ivey/ Fontecchio/ 3 DET 1sts.

3- UTA
Booker for Collins/Sexton/Hendricks/ UTA 27' 1st/ UTA 29' 1st/ PHX 31' st (back)!!

**** Maybe we trade Collins/ Milicic ($8 million expiring)/ 2 UTA 1sts to Portland for J Grant/ Camara??
**** Maybe we trade Sexton to Orlando for Bidatze/ Black/ Houston/ ORL 27' 1st (lottery protected).
Or we could just keep them and let them expire and get more cap space or try and resign them for less?

m1chal · Post #23 » by **m1chal** » Mon Feb 24, 2025 10:00 pm

This team is not going anywhere and Book, while a very good player, isn't good enough to continue building around him. Especially now that we have Beal on the roster, Booker should be gone, because no sane GM would trade for Beal's contract. So I'm ready to say good bye to Book, KD, Royce, Allen, Jones, Plumlee, Micic and whoever else can be traded for picks and/or young players with upside. I don't mind a couple of years of sucking, I'm kinda used to it after 30 years of following the Suns. I just want an exciting team, about which I can care and whose play won't make me change channel after 15 minutes of watching.

RaisingArizona · Post #24 » by **RaisingArizona** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 4:04 pm

I hate that this is even a question.

RaisingArizona · Post #25 » by **RaisingArizona** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 4:08 pm

Building around Beal just does nothing for me. Like the Diamondbacks building around Jordan Montgomery.

Warspite · Post #26 » by **Warspite** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 6:27 pm

Ghost of Kleine wrote:Although I get the nostalgia and heartfelt intentions associated with keeping Booker and letting him retire as a sun! In keeping him, all we're really doing is low-end treadmilling right beyond the lottery (if lucky) but we'd still be wasting Bookers' remaining years without really achieving anything other than frustrating mediocrity. The best and most logical pathway for us to rebuild our entire franchisee back to respectability and legitimate competitive dominance is to trade both while they still have value and completely reconstruct our roster.

James Jones needs to go, but his contract expires this summer so hopefully Ishbia just doesn't pick it up and lets him walk! Coach Bud needs to go as well in the interest of a younger coach who will actually play and develop young talent! OR ELSE, sit him down and have a clear understanding of our expectations of him. But if he does agree to stay, then it will be critical to also hire a top-notch defensive coach as an assistant to him who can collaborate on defensive schemes. Now for the best possible KD and then Booker trades (to give us a bright future:

KD Trades (Top 3)

1- OKC
KD for Hartenstein/ Joe/ Dieng/Topic/ LAC 25' 1st (15th pick)/ PHI 25' 1st (protected 1-6).
2- DET
KD for Harris/ Thompson/ Fontecchio/ DET 27' 1st/ DET 29' 1st.

3- MIA
KD for Wiggins/ Robinson/ Ware/ Larsen/ MIA 28' 1st.
OR
KD for Rozier/Robinson/Jovic/ Jacquez/ GS 25' 1st (14th pick)/ MIA 29' 1st.

***SAS
KD for Vassell/ Barnes/ Sochan/ ATL 25' 1st (11th pick)/ ATL 26' 1st (swap rights) to give us a 1st round pick in 2026.

Booker Trades

1- HOU
Booker for J Green/ Landale/ Whitmore/ PHX 25' 1st/ PHX 27' 1st/ PHX 29' 1st.
OR
Booker for Van Vleet/ Smith Jr or Eason/ PHX 25' 1st/ PHX 27' 1st/ PHX 29' 1st.

2- DET
Booker for Stewart/ Thompson or Holland/ Ivey/ Fontecchio/ 3 DET 1sts.

3- UTA
Booker for Collins/Sexton/Hendricks/ UTA 27' 1st/ UTA 29' 1st/ PHX 31' st (back)!!

**** Maybe we trade Collins/ Milicic ($8 million expiring)/ 2 UTA 1sts to Portland for J Grant/ Camara??
**** Maybe we trade Sexton to Orlando for Bidatze/ Black/ Houston/ ORL 27' 1st (lottery protected).
Or we could just keep them and let them expire and get more cap space or try and resign them for less?

You're basically asking for about 25-50% more than is realistic but as a Pistons fan I think a deal for Booker can be had. You simply are not going to get 50% of what you paid for Durant for either of them.

BobbieL · Post #27 » by **BobbieL** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 6:36 pm

sunsbg wrote:
Slim Charless wrote:Trade.

To Orlando for Franz or Paolo and picks.
To Houston for Amen, Jabari.
To SAS for Castle, Sochan and picks.
To Minny for Ant.
To Atlanta for Trae and picks.
To OKC for JDubb, Hartenstein, Topic and picks.

Most of these trades if not all are unrealistic for top 7 player by salary who didn't even make ASG. Especially after a disastrous season showing Booker is not a huge difference maker.

90% chance Ishbia keeps him and Suns threadmil for next 4-5 seasons while watching other teams select young players in the lottery with their picks.

My concern is that Ishbia will see what he can get for Durant and try to "spin it" that the team is building around Booker and that will just be like you said, a treadmill.

I just think the answer is quite obvious what needs to happen. Booker can go to the right team and be a "star" again - but it won't be in Phoenix. Paul really was the perfect guy for Booker. He was the Alpha player that let Booker just sit back and not be "the guy." Durant was also that in GSW with Curry.

I will care what they get but the important thing is trading them and somehow getting Allen traded too

Slim Charless · Post #28 » by **Slim Charless** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 6:37 pm

Warspite wrote:
Ghost of Kleine wrote:Although I get the nostalgia and heartfelt intentions associated with keeping Booker and letting him retire as a sun! In keeping him, all we're really doing is low-end treadmilling right beyond the lottery (if lucky) but we'd still be wasting Bookers' remaining years without really achieving anything other than frustrating mediocrity. The best and most logical pathway for us to rebuild our entire franchisee back to respectability and legitimate competitive dominance is to trade both while they still have value and completely reconstruct our roster.

James Jones needs to go, but his contract expires this summer so hopefully Ishbia just doesn't pick it up and lets him walk! Coach Bud needs to go as well in the interest of a younger coach who will actually play and develop young talent! OR ELSE, sit him down and have a clear understanding of our expectations of him. But if he does agree to stay, then it will be critical to also hire a top-notch defensive coach as an assistant to him who can collaborate on defensive schemes. Now for the best possible KD and then Booker trades (to give us a bright future:

KD Trades (Top 3)

1- OKC
KD for Hartenstein/ Joe/ Dieng/Topic/ LAC 25' 1st (15th pick)/ PHI 25' 1st (protected 1-6).
2- DET
KD for Harris/ Thompson/ Fontecchio/ DET 27' 1st/ DET 29' 1st.

3- MIA
KD for Wiggins/ Robinson/ Ware/ Larsen/ MIA 28' 1st.
OR
KD for Rozier/Robinson/Jovic/ Jacquez/ GS 25' 1st (14th pick)/ MIA 29' 1st.

***SAS
KD for Vassell/ Barnes/ Sochan/ ATL 25' 1st (11th pick)/ ATL 26' 1st (swap rights) to give us a 1st round pick in 2026.

Booker Trades

1- HOU
Booker for J Green/ Landale/ Whitmore/ PHX 25' 1st/ PHX 27' 1st/ PHX 29' 1st.
OR
Booker for Van Vleet/ Smith Jr or Eason/ PHX 25' 1st/ PHX 27' 1st/ PHX 29' 1st.

2- DET
Booker for Stewart/ Thompson or Holland/ Ivey/ Fontecchio/ 3 DET 1sts.

3- UTA
Booker for Collins/Sexton/Hendricks/ UTA 27' 1st/ UTA 29' 1st/ PHX 31' st (back)!!

**** Maybe we trade Collins/ Milicic ($8 million expiring)/ 2 UTA 1sts to Portland for J Grant/ Camara??
**** Maybe we trade Sexton to Orlando for Bidatze/ Black/ Houston/ ORL 27' 1st (lottery protected).
Or we could just keep them and let them expire and get more cap space or try and resign them for less?

You're basically asking for about 25-50% more than is realistic but as a Pistons fan I think a deal for Booker can be had. You simply are not going to get 50% of what you paid for Durant for either of them.

Thompson has to come back for a Booker trade. He's a deal breaker for me. Then Stewart for cap purposes and Ivey since Booker would be taking his spot. Picks are negotiable.

Its funny a Pistons fan is here as I was gonna go to your board and gauge the opinions on him going there.

He's from Michigan, so he probably wouldn't mind going back. Plus playing with Cade would be a great pairing to see.

BobbieL · Post #29 » by **BobbieL** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 6:46 pm

RaisingArizona wrote:Building around Beal just does nothing for me. Like the Diamondbacks building around Jordan Montgomery.

Its not building around Beal. Its not using assets to move off a Beal contract that is expiring in two years.

Summer of 2025: Trade Booker and Durant; if you can, trade Allen or O'Neal - get picks, players and expirings

Summer of 2026: use expirings to get under 2nd apron

Summer of 2027: Beal expires and go to town

BobbieL · Post #30 » by **BobbieL** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 6:47 pm

Slim Charless wrote:
Warspite wrote:
Ghost of Kleine wrote:Although I get the nostalgia and heartfelt intentions associated with keeping Booker and letting him retire as a sun! In keeping him, all we're really doing is low-end treadmilling right beyond the lottery (if lucky) but we'd still be wasting Bookers' remaining years without really achieving anything other than frustrating mediocrity. The best and most logical pathway for us to rebuild our entire franchisee back to respectability and legitimate competitive dominance is to trade both while they still have value and completely reconstruct our roster.

James Jones needs to go, but his contract expires this summer so hopefully Ishbia just doesn't pick it up and lets him walk! Coach Bud needs to go as well in the interest of a younger coach who will actually play and develop young talent! OR ELSE, sit him down and have a clear understanding of our expectations of him. But if he does agree to stay, then it will be critical to also hire a top-notch defensive coach as an assistant to him who can collaborate on defensive schemes. Now for the best possible KD and then Booker trades (to give us a bright future:

KD Trades (Top 3)

1- OKC
KD for Hartenstein/ Joe/ Dieng/Topic/ LAC 25' 1st (15th pick)/ PHI 25' 1st (protected 1-6).
2- DET
KD for Harris/ Thompson/ Fontecchio/ DET 27' 1st/ DET 29' 1st.

3- MIA
KD for Wiggins/ Robinson/ Ware/ Larsen/ MIA 28' 1st.
OR
KD for Rozier/Robinson/Jovic/ Jacquez/ GS 25' 1st (14th pick)/ MIA 29' 1st.

***SAS
KD for Vassell/ Barnes/ Sochan/ ATL 25' 1st (11th pick)/ ATL 26' 1st (swap rights) to give us a 1st round pick in 2026.

Booker Trades

1- HOU
Booker for J Green/ Landale/ Whitmore/ PHX 25' 1st/ PHX 27' 1st/ PHX 29' 1st.
OR
Booker for Van Vleet/ Smith Jr or Eason/ PHX 25' 1st/ PHX 27' 1st/ PHX 29' 1st.

2- DET
Booker for Stewart/ Thompson or Holland/ Ivey/ Fontecchio/ 3 DET 1sts.

3- UTA
Booker for Collins/Sexton/Hendricks/ UTA 27' 1st/ UTA 29' 1st/ PHX 31' st (back)!!

**** Maybe we trade Collins/ Milicic ($8 million expiring)/ 2 UTA 1sts to Portland for J Grant/ Camara??
**** Maybe we trade Sexton to Orlando for Bidatze/ Black/ Houston/ ORL 27' 1st (lottery protected).
Or we could just keep them and let them expire and get more cap space or try and resign them for less?

You're basically asking for about 25-50% more than is realistic but as a Pistons fan I think a deal for Booker can be had. You simply are not going to get 50% of what you paid for Durant for either of them.

Thompson has to come back for a Booker trade. He's a deal breaker for me. Then Stewart for cap purposes and Ivey since Booker would be taking his spot. Picks are negotiable.

Its funny a Pistons fan is here as I was gonna go to your board and gauge the opinions on him going there.

He's from Michigan, so he probably wouldn't mind going back. Plus playing with Cade would be a great pairing to see.

Key thing for the Suns with Booker and Durant is to have teams fail in the play-offs that might raise the level for what each can get

Puff · Post #31 » by **Puff** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 7:10 pm

BobbieL wrote:
RaisingArizona wrote:Building around Beal just does nothing for me. Like the Diamondbacks building around Jordan Montgomery.

Its not building around Beal. Its not using assets to move off a Beal contract that is expiring in two years.

Summer of 2025: Trade Booker and Durant; if you can, trade Allen or O'Neal - get picks, players and expirings

Summer of 2026: use expirings to get under 2nd apron

Summer of 2027: Beal expires and go to town

I think you are close to reality of what is going to happen but I will change it a bit from what probably will happen.

Summer of 2025. We will keep Booker. We will try to trade KD but if we cannot get a good return we will not extend him and let his current contract expire. If we extend him it will prove that Ishbia is as dumb as a rock, unless it helps us trade him. Why would another team want to pay KD $60 Million a year?

Summer of 2026 we will could be under the 2nd apron without KD or whatever a trade would bring in a trade this summer.

Summer of 2027: Hopefully we can trade both Allen and O'Neale and Beal's contract will expire. We can then rebuild the roster via Free agency. Unfortunately, we will not have any draft picks so we will have to count on signing good free agents. The good free agents are usually resigned by their own team.

I would bet that is what is going to happen. The only way we get any draft picks is trading Booker. If we can get some good ones via a trade of KD I will be surprised and happy.

I am in the trade Booker group for that reason. Ishbia screwed up our future so bad it is unbelievable.

ImNotMcDiSwear · Post #32 » by **ImNotMcDiSwear** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 7:11 pm

Wow. I did not expect this poll result. Good work, fellas.

Ghost of Kleine · Post #33 » by **Ghost of Kleine** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 7:35 pm

Warspite wrote:
Ghost of Kleine wrote:Although I get the nostalgia and heartfelt intentions associated with keeping Booker and letting him retire as a sun! In keeping him, all we're really doing is low-end treadmilling right beyond the lottery (if lucky) but we'd still be wasting Bookers' remaining years without really achieving anything other than frustrating mediocrity. The best and most logical pathway for us to rebuild our entire franchisee back to respectability and legitimate competitive dominance is to trade both while they still have value and completely reconstruct our roster.

James Jones needs to go, but his contract expires this summer so hopefully Ishbia just doesn't pick it up and lets him walk! Coach Bud needs to go as well in the interest of a younger coach who will actually play and develop young talent! OR ELSE, sit him down and have a clear understanding of our expectations of him. But if he does agree to stay, then it will be critical to also hire a top-notch defensive coach as an assistant to him who can collaborate on defensive schemes. Now for the best possible KD and then Booker trades (to give us a bright future:

KD Trades (Top 3)

1- OKC
KD for Hartenstein/ Joe/ Dieng/Topic/ LAC 25' 1st (15th pick)/ PHI 25' 1st (protected 1-6).
2- DET
KD for Harris/ Thompson/ Fontecchio/ DET 27' 1st/ DET 29' 1st.

3- MIA
KD for Wiggins/ Robinson/ Ware/ Larsen/ MIA 28' 1st.
OR
KD for Rozier/Robinson/Jovic/ Jacquez/ GS 25' 1st (14th pick)/ MIA 29' 1st.

***SAS
KD for Vassell/ Barnes/ Sochan/ ATL 25' 1st (11th pick)/ ATL 26' 1st (swap rights) to give us a 1st round pick in 2026.

Booker Trades

1- HOU
Booker for J Green/ Landale/ Whitmore/ PHX 25' 1st/ PHX 27' 1st/ PHX 29' 1st.
OR
Booker for Van Vleet/ Smith Jr or Eason/ PHX 25' 1st/ PHX 27' 1st/ PHX 29' 1st.

2- DET
Booker for Stewart/ Thompson or Holland/ Ivey/ Fontecchio/ 3 DET 1sts.

3- UTA
Booker for Collins/Sexton/Hendricks/ UTA 27' 1st/ UTA 29' 1st/ PHX 31' st (back)!!

**** Maybe we trade Collins/ Milicic ($8 million expiring)/ 2 UTA 1sts to Portland for J Grant/ Camara??
**** Maybe we trade Sexton to Orlando for Bidatze/ Black/ Houston/ ORL 27' 1st (lottery protected).
Or we could just keep them and let them expire and get more cap space or try and resign them for less?

You're basically asking for about 25-50% more than is realistic but as a Pistons fan I think a deal for Booker can be had. You simply are not going to get 50% of what you paid for Durant for either of them.

Your personal opinion on KDs' value being respectfully noted, Opinion based perspectives on value in general are highly subjective and scalable. And sure, from a fan's perspective, we tend to overvalue our own players in trades ( both in terms of outgoing and incoming value exchanged).

So whilst I'm not at all discounting your perspective on Kds' trade value to some Piston fans, your front office may very likely have an entirely different perspective in contrast to yours.

But for our part, this is the baseline value we'd require. If that's too much for you or others teams' without or without implied value biases, then we'll move on to another possibility. No harm no foul! But under no circumstances should we or will we just submit to a lowball value exchange for a KD trade just to satiate another fanbases' interests.

The thresholds are either met or no trade will be pursued. And it's just that simple. You can say it's unrealistic from a fan's perspective doesn't make it so to the actual decision makers in NBA front offices. :wink:

BobbieL · Post #34 » by **BobbieL** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 8:14 pm

Puff wrote:
BobbieL wrote:
RaisingArizona wrote:Building around Beal just does nothing for me. Like the Diamondbacks building around Jordan Montgomery.

Its not building around Beal. Its not using assets to move off a Beal contract that is expiring in two years.

Summer of 2025: Trade Booker and Durant; if you can, trade Allen or O'Neal - get picks, players and expirings

Summer of 2026: use expirings to get under 2nd apron

Summer of 2027: Beal expires and go to town

I think you are close to reality of what is going to happen but I will change it a bit from what probably will happen.

Summer of 2025. We will keep Booker. We will try to trade KD but if we cannot get a good return we will not extend him and let his current contract expire. If we extend him it will prove that Ishbia is as dumb as a rock, unless it helps us trade him. Why would another team want to pay KD $60 Million a year?

Summer of 2026 we will could be under the 2nd apron without KD or whatever a trade would bring in a trade this summer.

Summer of 2027: Hopefully we can trade both Allen and O'Neale and Beal's contract will expire. We can then rebuild the roster via Free agency. Unfortunately, we will not have any draft picks so we will have to count on signing good free agents. The good free agents are usually resigned by their own team.

I would bet that is what is going to happen. The only way we get any draft picks is trading Booker. If we can get some good ones via a trade of KD I will be surprised and happy.

I am in the trade Booker group for that reason. Ishbia screwed up our future so bad it is unbelievable.

Your reality is what will probably happen so Ishbia doesn't have to admit failure

And my plan would need Ishbia would have to practice patience - like real patience.

But I am not sure the Suns can get below the 2nd apron this summer moving Durant &/or Booker because of the rules - but if they can, a bonus. It would be nice if a Durant trade could them below the apron to allow a Booker trade to move off of Allen and/or O'Neale for expirings. That should be the goal - summer of 2027!

sashaturiaf · Post #35 » by **sashaturiaf** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 9:16 pm

This should have been the topic of discussion last offseason, not now.

James Jones and the roster was the problem all along. Not Vogel, 1 year later James Jones still had his cushy job but the team is **** up **** creek without a raft and paddle.

In any case, the fallout from this is that the Suns will be an unwatchable mess for years to come.

dremill24 · Post #36 » by **dremill24** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 9:50 pm

As much as it makes sense to move Booker for a big haul, I'm just not it's likely at all.

I would seriously look into it if it were me, but not sure I see it happening.

thamadkant · Post #37 » by **thamadkant** » Tue Feb 25, 2025 10:42 pm

Will this post topic become another Season Discussion and Speculation type thread?

Just wondering.

But the poll of trading Booker is clear amongst the fans.

Ship him out to save the Suns for the next decade.

Puff · Post #38 » by **Puff** » Wed Feb 26, 2025 12:25 am

thamadkant wrote:Will this post topic become another Season Discussion and Speculation type thread?

Just wondering.

But the poll of trading Booker is clear amongst the fans.

Ship him out to save the Suns for the next decade.

Well Ish and Jones traded everyone with the exception of booker from a very good team to create a losing unwatchable basketball team.

Why not just trade everyone from this fiasco, that they created.

Will their egos accept their incompetence?

RaisingArizona · Post #39 » by **RaisingArizona** » Wed Feb 26, 2025 1:04 am

What did the trade of Barkley or Nash being the Suns? Looking back, I wish they both ended their careers here.

Revived · Post #40 » by **Revived** » Wed Feb 26, 2025 7:27 am

It’s too bad that none of the teams in the East have good assets to trade for him. I’d rather trade him out of the conference than within it but I don’t want to take a significantly lesser offer to do it.

By the time the Suns rebuild and become a contender again, Booker will be retired anyway so I guess it doesn’t really matter much.

Should Suns keep or trade Booker?