Waiving star’s best friend did not warrant consultation for Suns
Devin Booker is the Phoenix Suns’ franchise player, but the decision to waive Tyler Ulis apparently has him less than thrilled with the front office.
With LeBron James and others signing “one-plus-one” deals to maximize their earning potential and create frenzy over where they play each summer, we are in a unique era of player empowerment in the NBA. The Phoenix Suns have long been floundering, but Devin Booker is a certified building block and running afoul of him would not be advised in the big picture.
Suns general manager Ryan McDonough suggested more aggressiveness this offseason, and that Booker will be involved in all major decisions. Trevor Ariza is set to be brought aboard on a one-year, $15 million deal, but the move on Saturday to waive point guard Tyler Ulis apparently has drawn Booker’s ire.
The Suns are looking very thin at point guard, as they did not tender a qualifying offer to Elfrid Payton, they’ve now waived Ulis and rumored interest in Fred VanVleet did not yield a reported deal. So rookie Elie Okobo and Brandon Knight, who is coming off a torn ACL, are all that’s left right now to team with Booker in the backcourt.
Sources: As he becomes eligible for five-year maximum rookie extension, Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker is upset with the front office over release of best friend Tyler Ulis, who started 43 games last season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2018
Ulis started 43 games and played in 71 contests last year. But after a promising finish to his rookie season in 2016-17 (13.2 points, 7.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game over his final 25 games), he fell pretty flat in his second season (7.8 points and 4.4 assists per game).
It’s easy to see Booker being unhappy with the decision to waive Ulis, since he won’t get to play with his best friend and college teammate. But the Suns can sign him to a five-year max rookie extension now, so money should ultimately talk here and Booker should be in Phoenix for awhile.
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Cutting a below-average point guard hardly qualifies as a major move along the lines McDonough mentioned before. So setting the personal tie aside, or dismissing it entirely, Booker holds no cards in a complaint about not being consulted before Ulis was waived.