The 4-15 Suns are the only team in a hyper-competitive Western Conference that hasn’t won at least nine games already this season. However, while Phoenix may not be ready to contend in the West quite yet, Devin Booker is thinking big after signing a five-year contract extension with the franchise over the summer, as he tells Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
“I’d like to build a super-team. I’d like the super-team to come to me,” Booker said. “If that’s through free agency, people seeing what we have here with the big fella [Deandre Ayton] and myself and wanting to join in on that, to reach higher heights, then I’m with that.”
Phoenix hasn’t won more than 24 games in a season since 2014/15 and looks like a good bet to finish at the bottom of the Western Conference once again in 2018/19. Still, Booker’s “super-team” goals aren’t quite as outlandish as the club’s spot in the standings might suggest.
As Booker alludes to, the Suns already have two long-term cornerstones in place — Booker is 22 years old and is under contract for five years beyond this season, while Ayton is 20 years old and in his rookie season.
The club is also fairly flexible in terms of its salary cap outlook. Ryan Anderson still has one year left on his pricey contract after this season, but otherwise, the only players on Phoenix’s books beyond 2018/19 are Booker, Ayton, Josh Jackson, Mikal Bridges, T.J. Warren, Elie Okobo, and De’Anthony Melton. On top of all that, the Suns should have another top draft pick to work with in 2019.
With Booker and Ayton locked up for the next several years and likely to keep getting better, the Suns have plenty of time to figure out how to fill out their roster with the pieces necessary to return to contention. Landing a star player via trade or free agency within the next year or two would accelerate the team’s timeline, and it sounds like Booker would like to go that route.
“It’s my job to speed up that plan and have the team believe we can move forward with me as a center point,” Booker told Goodwill.
Keep believing kid, it’ll happen, possibly earlier then expected
Lol
Yeah they’re actually in a pretty good spot with Ayton and Booker. They’re in a much better place then a team like Miami with all kinds of bad contracts and very little assets.
Accept its Phoenix and they’re doomed to screw it up. They should have offered San Antonio a few unprotected 1st picks and acquired Leonard now they have to “hope” someone signs there and that’s always a crapshoot.
Except
Accept? Like ‘accept’ the fact that it is PHX!
Makes sense to me!
I’d much rather be the Suns, a team with young stars, high draft picks, and cap room, than a team like the Heat or Hornets who are stuck in mediocrity with no path towards improvement.
Seems like a good place for Fultz.
They need a PG desperately, another good draft pick and, then a star wing player like a leaned or butler in free agency.
They really are set up for success. They finally got a real coach. And with Booker and Ayton they have the building blocks. If they could get a young star to come there they will b a playoff team… IDK who, not throwing out names. But either thru trade or in this draft and they will b set
Devin – You just told your teammates other than Ayton that, in your eyes, they’re road kill that needs replacing. And told the entire NBA world that you think you are that rare type of star that other stars will move teams to play with. Try focusing on the team and teammates you have now, actually playing like that rare type of star, and in the process leading the current group to more than 24 wins.
Phoenix is a great place to live during the winter and spring which should be a draw. But the stadium sucks and most players live in central and north Scottsdale.
Is Josh Jackson a bust? Or does he still need time to develop?
as long as they dont blow their space on j. wall.
I see no good outcome to Booker’s airing of exclusionary hopes & dreams. Except that, PHX will win the race to the bottom & maybe draft someone else acceptable.
Lmao suns are trash and will be for awhile. No one wants to play there or live there (fyi the state of az is a dump) also no one wants to play with a volume scorer who doesnt play d see carmelo anthony. Keep dreaming kid.
Ya but we have the hottest chicks in all the land brah. It’s so hot here they have to wear bikinis everywhere
Unfortunately as long as the organization is being run by a slumlord there will be no championship, no winning, no big name signings and the draft picks will leave once their contracts are up. Dark times from now on.
Disillusion of grandeur on Book’s part. That’s big ‘superstar’ talk from a man who has yet to play an all-star game or even get ‘one’ all-NBA vote. Much less, make an all-NBA team!
Well, at least he has the three point shooting contest trophy to hang his hat on! When you get two of those like Jason Kapono, you can start recruiting for that super-team Book’ !
Everybody knows that the NBA is rigged and hates the Phoenix Suns. God also hates them.
That comment was worth repeating for its Kapono content!
I would rather have the Suns opportunities than many other teams. The city is “ A dump” coming from someone from Detroit or the East Coast. So bad is Phoenix that athletes and stars flock to live here. Good young team. GM McDumma gone and we are on the way up. We have hope for the future. A lot brighter future than most teams.
Sarver…the owner….is a moron and will blow it up!