Devin Booker Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stein’s Latest: Paul, Smart, Thomas, Kuminga

July 28th, 2025 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Chris Paul returned to Los Angeles and signed with the Clippers on a one-year deal last week. Paul showed strong interest in playing for one of his other former teams before making his decision, according to the latest Substack article from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

The other team that Paul considered rejoining was the Suns. The team’s star, Devin Booker, was intrigued by the potential reunion, given how they meshed during Phoenix’s run to the 2021 NBA Finals. There was also seemingly a spot for Paul at the point, since Tyus Jones chose to sign with Orlando.

The Suns’ front office decided to go in another direction. Phoenix was much more interested in defensive stalwart Marcus Smart, who chose to sign with the Lakers after reaching a buyout with Washington. Phoenix’s brass also had some concerns how the future Hall of Famer’s presence might create some awkward situations for first-year head coach Jordan Ott.

The Suns wound up claiming Jordan Goodwin off waivers and signing Jared Butler to a non-guaranteed contract. Paul also drew interest from the Hornets, Mavericks and Bucks, as previously reported.

Citing a source, Stein said Dallas had D’Angelo Russell higher on its wish list than Paul. The Mavs’ brass believed Russell would be more comfortable in a complementary role once Kyrie Irving returns from his knee ailment. They also felt Russell was a better fit with Anthony Davis, considering they had played together with the Lakers. Russell signed a two-year deal with the Mavs.

Here’s more nuggets from The Stein Line:

The Hawks considered absorbing Smart’s contract into its $25MM traded player exception prior to his buyout. Atlanta opted instead to acquire Kristaps Porziņgis and make a sign-and-trade transaction for Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The Bucks explored potential trades for Smart and the Warriors‘ Andrew Wiggins with the aid of Pat Connaughton‘s expiring $9.4MM contract. They instead dealt him to Charlotte for two future second-round picks.
Fischer reiterates that the Nets’ offers to restricted free agent Cam Thomas have yet to exceed two-year proposals featuring an annual average value in the range of the league’s $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Those offers also include a team option for the second year. Brooklyn appears to be in no rush to ramp up negotiations with Thomas’ representation, given Thomas’ lack of leverage.
Regarding another prominent restricted free agent, Jonathan Kuminga has not gotten an offer from the Warriors close to his reported $30MM annual asking price. The Warriors’ best offers to Kuminga have topped out in the two-year, $40MM range, per Stein. As previously reported, the Kings and Suns are regarded as the top suitors but Golden State wants a first-round pick in any sign-and-trade deal. Phoenix is unable to offer a first-rounder.

Pacific Notes: Suns, Beal, Paul, Harden

July 21st, 2025 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns are comfortable with their current roster, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports, though they must make at least one more move.

Aided in large part by the Kevin Durant trade and the buyout of Bradley Beal‘s contract, the Suns have dropped under the tax aprons and can now aggregate contracts in a trade, do a sign-and-trade and use mid-level exceptions. However, it’s unlikely they’ll make another significant move.

While Rankin confirms the Suns have some interest in restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, they likely lack the draft capital and assets to pique the Warriors’ interest. Veteran free agents Russell Westbrook and Al Horford are not on their radar, Rankin adds.

Phoenix will have to add another player to the standard roster by the fall to meet the minimum of 14.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

What does the Suns‘ starting lineup look like after all the roster additions and subtractions? Rankin predicts Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Ryan Dunn and Mark Williams will claim those spots. Collin Gillespie, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Oso Ighodaro and lottery pick Khaman Maluach project as the top reserve candidates.
Beal, who joined the Clippers on a two-year, $11MM contract, has a 15 percent trade kicker as part of his new deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Beal officially signed with L.A. on Friday after clearing waivers.
There’s no lingering friction between Chris Paul, who signed with the Clippers on Monday, and his former Rockets teammate James Harden, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. In fact, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank declared that Paul will back up Harden next season. Frank was intent this offseason on getting quality depth, considering his aging roster and the proliferation of injuries throughout the league. “I’ll knock on wood, but the reality is for any NBA team, the amount of times you have your top 10 all available is usually 21 to 25 times throughout the course of a year. So, you literally need everyone on your roster to be able to contribute,” Frank said.

Suns’ Ishbia Talks Offseason, Beal, Ott, Maluach, Green, Brooks

July 18th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of the Suns‘ trade of Kevin Durant and buyout agreement with Bradley Beal, team owner Mat Ishbia admitted that he may have taken the wrong approach when he took control of the franchise two years ago and immediately began throwing draft picks and money around to build an expensive, top-heavy roster.

“The big thing I learned is you got to start and have the vision and identity from day one and I did not do that with the Phoenix Suns,” Ishbia said during a Thursday interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I thought, ‘Hey, let’s add some money. They’ve already got a good thing going. Let’s untap some resources and it will only get better,’ and that’s not how it works.

“… Everybody has got to have an alignment of what we’re about here in Phoenix and we didn’t do a good enough job of that. That’s on me. I’ll take the blame.”

“Alignment” has been a recurring talking point for Ishbia and the Suns this summer as they made changes to their front office and brought in a new head coach for the third consecutive offseason.

Ishbia said during his SiriusXM NBA Radio appearance that he and new general manager Brian Gregory are “completely aligned with what we’re trying to do,” and brought up “alignment” again when he explained why he doesn’t feel pressure to make sure star guard Devin Booker stays happy in the coming years.

“Devin’s going to be happy because we’re going to try to win,” the Suns owner said, per Rankin. “We’re going to do things that will be aligned with the vision and the identity that he agrees with 1000% and I agree with 1000% along with our GM (Gregory) and our coach (Jordan Ott). The alignment from owner to GM to coach to star/franchise player was never there before, to be clear. It is now and it’s crystal clear.”

According to Ishbia, the Suns are now committed to building “the right way” over the long term, and made it a priority this summer to add “younger, up-and-coming” talent while creating more salary cap flexibility going forward.

Here are a few more highlights from Ishbia, via Rankin:

On parting with Beal:

“He’s a great guy. Just not a fit with Phoenix Suns going forward. We told him that. We made that decision. We let them know wanted to move forward without him. It doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy. It doesn’t mean he’s a bad player. … He’s a great player, but for Phoenix and what we’re doing, it wasn’t a fit and we had to move on and make those decisions.”

On why the Suns hired Ott as their head coach:

“We had to get a coach that’s thinking forward and not looking back. Not looking at what worked in 2020, but what’s going to work in 2030. What’s the future and Jordan Ott is an unbelievable basketball mind. Praised by everybody we reached out to, every reference possible and we’ve been really happy with him so far. He’s young, he’s going to build with our team and he hopefully can be a great coach for the Phoenix Suns for the future.”

On No. 10 overall pick Khaman Maluach:

“We’re excited about Malauch. He’s 18, though. People have unreal (expectations). He’s 18. I have a son that’s 14. He’s four years older. He’s still a kid and he’s going to develop. It’s going to take a little bit of time, but we really love what he’s got and think he can be a real impact player.”

On the return in the Durant blockbuster:

“We wanted Jalen Green, to be clear. We like Jalen. He’s 23 years old, the leading scorer for the two seed in the West and Dillon Brooks, he’s a straight dog. He’s the type of guy we want here in Phoenix. He’s not on your team, you probably don’t like him, but I’m telling you. … He plays defense against the best player. He’s great around Booker. You put him around Booker, you put Jalen Green with Booker, we feel good about that.”

Contract Details: Aldama, Jerome, Spencer, Booker, Jackson, Broome

July 16th, 2025 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

The three-year, $52.5MM contract that restricted free agent Santi Aldama signed with the Grizzlies includes a third-year team option, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The deal is front-loaded, with an $18.49MM salary in year one before it dips to $17MM in year two. The team option for 2027/28 is also worth $17MM.

Meanwhile, the three-year, $27.66MM deal that Ty Jerome finalized with the Grizzlies is worth the full room exception, as expected. Jerome’s contract – which includes a third-year player option, as previously reported – also features a 15% trade kicker, notes Scotto (Twitter link).

Finally, Cam Spencer‘s new four-year contract with Memphis is worth roughly $10.4MM in total. The team used cap room to give Spencer a salary of $2,537,989 in year one, with minimum salaries for the remaining three years of the deal, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. As previously reported, the first three seasons are fully guaranteed, with a fourth-year team option for 2028/29.

Here are a few more details on some of the recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

Devin Booker‘s new two-year, maximum-salary extension with the Suns only features one fully guaranteed year. The second season is a player option for the 2029/30 season, tweets Scotto.
Isaiah Jackson‘s three-year, $21MM contract with the Pacers is front-loaded, Hoops Rumors has learned. Jackson will earn $7.6MM in 2025/26, followed by salaries of $7MM in ’26/27 and $6.4MM in ’27/28.
Johni Broome‘s four-year contract with the Sixers, previously said to be guaranteed for two seasons, is worth $8.69MM, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. That means Broome will be earning his minimum salary in each year of the deal, starting with a cap hit of $1,272,870 in year one.

Booker, Brooks, Green Prepare For Upcoming Suns Season

July 13th, 2025 at 8:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks will be entering the 2025/26 season with a chip on their shoulders as a result of the trade that sent them to the Suns in exchange for Kevin Durant, writes Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.

“I love the trade. It gives me and Jalen an opportunity,” Brooks said in response to Green asking him about the deal, prompting Green to interject, “Motivation.”

Brooks added that he felt like coming to Phoenix had been a long time in the making — he thought he had been traded to the Suns in his sophomore season, a deal in which the Grizzlies believed they were trading MarShon Brooks.

“I can’t wait to connect with the fans and bring that toughness, bring that urgency, and be ready for the journey,” Brooks said.

Green was candid about how he took being traded from the Rockets, who drafted him No. 2 overall in the 2021 draft.

“It hurts. Houston is home to me and forever will be home to me,” he said. “I started my NBA career there and built a lot there… obviously it was sad to leave, but it’s a business.”

He also expressed optimism about the coming season, and specifically about how he could fit with newly extended Devin Booker.

“We’re two people who are going to be able to accept the double team and play off each other,” Green said. “We’re two people who know how to attract the defense, and everyone’s going to set up around us. So when we’re doing something like that, you’ve got to pick who you want to score tonight. And me and him both, it’s going to be a deadly scoring duo.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Booker is already hard at work preparing for the upcoming season (Twitter video link).

“I’m told he’s been working out with players on the Suns, the young players on the Suns, over the last week, two weeks,” Charania said. “So he’s fully immersed himself with this team, with Jalen Green, with Dillon Brooks… I think there will be a better feel, they’re hoping, around this team.”

That’s a sentiment that Green echoed, despite knowing that outside expectations for the Suns have declined following a disappointing couple seasons and the departure of Durant.

“The position we’re in, we’re going to surprise a lot of people and make a lot of noise,” Green said.

Suns Notes: Dunn, Ighodaro, Culture, Maluach, Livers, Booker

July 10th, 2025 at 10:33pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Suns sophomores Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro were able to build a special relationship with Kevin Durant during their first season in the league before he was traded to Houston, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. Dunn said he loved playing with Durant and appreciated what he was able to learn from the future Hall-of-Famer.

“We built that relationship,” Dunn said. “I wish him the best in Houston. I’m excited to go compete against him and talk some smack to him now, but it’s someone I can always turn to and learn from, so I wish him the best as well.”

Both players are expected to take a major step up in responsibility this season after already being leaned on heavily in their first years in the league.

“He was such a great teammate, great leader for us,” Ighodaro said about Durant. “It was great just to be able to say I was his teammate and learned a lot from him, me and Ryan. Talked to him a little bit since he’s left. I wish nothing but the best for him.”

We have more on the Suns:

Dunn was quick to observe some of Phoenix’s early culture changes under new general manager Brian Gregory, Rankin writes. Gregory is looking to set a competitive tone for the new-look Suns. “He wants dogs,” Dunn said. “He wants dogs on this team.” Dunn and Ighodaro are aiming to establish winning habits as leaders on the Summer League team, Rankin writes in another story. “We want to kind of change the identity here,” assistant coach DeMarre Carroll said. “We want to compete at a high level. These guys have been doing it.”
New head coach Jordan Ott was complimentary of rookie draft pick Khaman Maluach, according to PHNX Sports’ Gerald Bourguet (Twitter link). “You know how big and long he is, it’s obvious. His ability to run just creates a different dynamic, the vertical spacing that he has above the rim. And then just the overall size and rim protection, you can feel it every second he’s out there,” Ott said. The Suns acquired the pick used to select Maluach in the Durant trade.
In addition, Ott expressed excitement about adding Isaiah Livers to a two-way contract, per Rankin (Twitter link). “Isaiah brings a shooting piece, size piece we’re looking on this roster,” Ott said. “He has been injured, but now he’s back. He’s fully healthy. He’s been here. Excited to see him more this summer into training camp and into the season.“
Fresh off earning the richest salary in the NBA, this season could prove to be Devin Booker‘s most challenging yet, Doug Haller of The Athletic opines. The Suns will need Booker to be patient as they sort through a reset period that may see them battling for a play-in spot yet again.

Devin Booker Signs Two-Year Max Extension With Suns

July 10th, 2025 at 6:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

July 10: Booker’s new extension with the Suns is official, the team confirmed in a press release.

“Devin Booker is the embodiment of the Phoenix Suns, representing the best of our organization, our community and our future,” Ishbia said in a statement. “As the team’s all-time leading scorer, his on-court achievements are unparalleled and the result of his relentless preparation and unwavering pursuit of excellence. His character, leadership and ‘I’ll do it’ mentality define the standards and culture we uphold.

“Moreover, his connection with our fans is unique – his impact resonates across the Valley, and his tireless efforts in supporting Arizona’s youth and families reflect the deep community bond we cherish.”

July 9: Devin Booker has reached an agreement with the Suns on a two-year maximum-salary extension that could be worth more than $145MM, agents Jessica Holtz and Melvin Booker of CAA tell Shams Charania of ESPN. The deal, which will run through the 2029/30 season, was finalized tonight in a meeting with owner Mat Ishbia in Las Vegas.

Booker’s annual extension salary of $72.5MM would be the largest in NBA history, Charania adds, slightly surpassing the projections on the new deal Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed with Oklahoma City last week ($71.25MM). Booker now has five years and an estimated $316MM left on his contract with the Suns.

Booker’s deal will be worth 35% of the salary cap in 2028/29, with an 8% raise for ’29/30. Charania’s figures are based on presumed cap increases of 7% next year and 10% each of the following two years, so there’s no guarantee the extension will actually come in that high.

If it does, Booker would make $70,077,350 in 2028/29 and $75,683,530 in 2029/30, giving him a total of $145,760,880.

This is the third contract extension for Booker, who has spent the past 10 seasons in Phoenix after being selected with the 13th pick in the 2015 draft. He has talked frequently about wanting to play his entire career with the same franchise and working to make the Suns contenders again. The new deal, which will take him past his 33rd birthday, is a major step toward accomplishing that.

There was trade speculation surrounding Booker and virtually all the Suns in the midst of a frustrating 36-46 season that saw them fall short of the play-in tournament. That prompted Ishbia to issue a strong statement in March vowing that he would never part with Booker and referring to him as the sort of “superstar” that’s necessary to win a title.

Ishbia and his new management team have already started the process of reworking the roster around Booker. Kevin Durant was shipped to Houston in a seven-team trade, and the Suns are believed to be nearing a buyout agreement with Bradley Beal. Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks were the main additions in the Durant deal, Mark Williams was acquired from Charlotte in a draft-night trade and Khaman Maluach was selected with the No. 1o pick.

Booker posted typically excellent numbers amidst the chaos of last season, although his shooting percentages declined from his usual standards. He averaged 25.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 75 games while connecting at 46.1% from the field and 33.2% from three-point range.

Booker will return to being the focus of the offense with Durant and possibly Beal gone, so he’ll need a strong performance next season to push the Suns in the right direction.

Pacific Notes: Collins, Beal, Warriors, Kuminga, Suns

July 7th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers view John Collins as their likely starter at power forward, according to Law Murray and John Hollinger of The Athletic. Collins, who is being acquired from Utah in a three-team trade, brings an athletic presence to L.A.’s frontcourt and adds more size to a team that had trouble matching up with Denver in its first-round playoff series.

Collins can be effective next to starting center Ivica Zubac, the authors note, and provides a good complement to backup Brook Lopez, a free agent addition who can space the floor for Collins to operate in the low post. Having more reliable big men also means less time at power forward for Kawhi Leonard and less responsibility for James Harden to guard opposing fours.

Norman Powell, who’s being sent to Miami in the deal, put together an outstanding offensive season, but he was less effective after the All-Star break, Murray and Hollinger observe. Some of the decline was because he was slowed by knee and hamstring issues, while Leonard’s return from injury also contributed. The authors state that Powell’s age, availability and fit all made the Clippers hesitant to give him an extension heading into the upcoming season.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Clippers might pursue Bradley Beal if he reaches a buyout agreement with the Suns, but they’ll be limited because they only have $5.3MM of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception left to offer, notes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Scotto lists Malcolm Brogdon and Chris Paul as other free agent guards the Clippers have expressed interest in.
The Warriors are also viewed as a potential landing spot for Beal, league sources tell Grant Afseth of RG. Golden State is still considered a strong candidate to add Boston center Al Horford, while landing Beal would provide another proven scoring threat to ease the Burden on Stephen Curry. The Warriors are also trying to determine how to handle restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, and Afseth echoes a recent report that sign-and-trade talks with the Kings and other teams haven’t resulted in much progress.
Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic looks at how the Suns are planning to rebuild around Devin Booker, who’s expected to receive a two-year, $150MM extension this summer.

Suns Notes: Booker, Green, Beal, Hayes-Davis

July 1st, 2025 at 12:26pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns and Devin Booker are discussing a contract extension, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, who notes (via Twitter) that the star guard will soon be eligible to add two years and $150MM onto his current deal.

Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst both reported last month that Phoenix was likely to offer Booker a maximum-salary extension once he’s eligible on July 6 and the 28-year-old was expected to accept it, so Haynes’ report doesn’t come as a surprise.

Here are few more notes and rumors out of Phoenix:

Doug Haller of The Athletic spoke to a handful of Jalen Green‘s former coaches to get a better idea of how he and Booker will be able to coexist in the Suns’ backcourt. Green, a former No. 2 overall pick, will be sent to Phoenix from Houston as part of the Kevin Durant trade. “First off, they’re really good guys,” former Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said of Green and Booker. “They’re both selfless. They both want to win. They both have seen the goods and the bads and have a really good feel for team basketball and what it takes to help you get over the top and win. It remains to be seen, but I think when you start with the base that those two guys have, it could work.”
Arizona Sports 98.7’s John Gambadoro has predicted that Phoenix will either trade or buyout Bradley Beal, who still has two years left on his maximum-salary contract, which features a full no-trade clause. While Beal would be open to certain trade scenarios, his preference is to stay with the Suns, as he doesn’t want to uproot his family or move away from them, a source close to the three-time All-Star tells Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Katz also takes a look at why using the waive-and-stretch provision on Beal isn’t possible unless he gives up at least $13.8MM in a buyout and spoke to some NBA executives about what type of contract the veteran shooting guard might be able to get if he were a free agent (in the range of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception).
Nigel Hayes-Davis‘ contract with Fenerbahce included a €1 million NBA buyout clause, notes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. The NBA’s “excluded international player payment amount” for 2025/26 is $875K, which means the Suns could pay up to that portion of Hayes-Davis’ buyout — the rest would come out of his NBA salary, unless Fenerbahce agrees to lower the amount of the buyout. The veteran forward agreed to a guaranteed one-year deal with Phoenix on Monday.

Luke Adams contributed to this article.

Suns’ Booker Considered Likely To Sign Two-Year Extension

June 27th, 2025 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

After predicting during ESPN’s draft broadcast on Thursday that Devin Booker and the Suns would come to an agreement on a contract extension this offseason, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reiterated that point in stronger terms during a Friday appearance on Get Up (YouTube link).

“We have big positive news potentially coming here for the Suns,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “Devin Booker is in position to sign a two-year, $150MM extension. … He is expected to get that offer and to sign it.

“The Suns have some work to do on this roster, but Booker has been highly engaged with them this offseason on their coaching search and their Kevin Durant trade.”

While there was some speculation from outside the organization that the Suns might consider the idea of trading Booker this offseason, it doesn’t sound like that was an option the front office ever considered. The Suns stressed both publicly and privately that they planned to continue building around the four-time All-Star guard going forward.

As Windhorst notes, reporting at the time of Jordan Ott‘s hiring as Phoenix’s new head coach indicated that Booker was heavily involved in the process and gave the former Cavaliers assistant his stamp of approval.

Booker still has three years and $171MM left on his current super-max contract, but he’s eligible to sign another extension as of July 6, since it will have been three years since he finalized that previous deal. A new contract would begin at a projected $72MM in 2029/30, based on 10% annual cap increases, with an 8% raise to $77.8MM in ’30/31. It would cover his age-32 and age-33 seasons.

Asked about his contract situation in April, Booker didn’t explicitly state he would sign that extension if it were put on the table, but certainly suggested he’d welcome it. He told reporters it’s “nice to be up for an extension” and that it’s “always a pleasure” to be wanted for more years.

If Booker finalizes that two-year extension this offseason, it would set a new NBA record for the highest annual salary of any single contract, though the exact value would remain up in the air until the ’29/30 cap is officially set in four years.