Latest Devin Booker rumors have Suns star eyeing East Coast contender

The Phoenix Suns were swept out of the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves, bringing their largely disappointing 2023-24 campaign to a grim conclusion. We already have Kevin Durant trade rumors bubbling up, and Frank Vogel is squarely on the hot seat after one season in Phoenix. Now, we can add Devin Booker's name to the crowing chorus of uncertainty.

According to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, Booker wants to be in New York. And no, he doesn't want to play for the Brooklyn Nets. The New York Knicks are on the 27-year-old's radar, apparently.

The Ringer's Wosny Lambre confirmed the buzz in league circles, noting that Stephen A. is "tapped in." There is understandable skepticism regarding the source of this news — Smith is ESPN's loudest Knicks fan — but that doesn't prevent him from having sources around the organization and valid info. Smith came up as a beat reporter and has been involved in breaking news before.

This is music to Knicks fans' ears and it's another stab in the gut for the Phoenix faithful.

Devin Booker eyeing Knicks as Suns spiral out of contention

The problem? Well, Booker is under contract with Phoenix through the 2027-28 season at roughly $55.2 million annually. It will be hard for Booker to leverage his way to a trade. The Suns would essentially need to hit the reset button voluntarily. With how aggressive new owner Mat Ishbia has been, it's hard to imagine the Suns throwing in the towel (even if they maybe should).

New York has the trade ammo to get something done if Booker does become available. Booker is a perfect backcourt complement to Jalen Brunson, comfortable spacing to the 3-point line and attacking off the catch, or running pick-and-rolls and operating as the primary fulcrum when needed. The Knicks would be able to stagger All-Star guards while surrounding them with elite rebounding and versatile defenders. That is a credible path to championship contention.

Phoenix has to take a long look in the mirror. The Suns don't control their own draft picks until the 2030s. There is no way to add cheap, affordable talent on the margins, especially as the new CBA adds further restrictions on expensive rosters. Phoenix is locked into the Booker-Durant-Beal triumvirate until the latter's contract comes off the books in 2027. Ironically enough, Beal is the hardest player to trade, so the Suns don't have really any room to manuever around Booker and Durant. The roster is going to be top-heavy until the bitter end.

One could mount a very convincing argument that Phoenix should tear it down and recoup flexibility by trading Durant and Booker while their value remains sky-high. The Suns still wouldn't control their own picks, but adding another eight or nine first-round picks would give Phoenix firestarter for their rebuild and trade ammo for a future pivot. Right now, it's pretty bleak. The Suns went all-in on a roster that got swept out of the first round with its entire core healthy. Not. Great.

That is certainly the outcome New York would prefer. Booker should top the Knicks' wish list, even more than Kevin Durant. Whether or not Booker can actually force his way to the Knicks, however, is exceedingly unclear. Right now, it feels more likely that Phoenix will continue to run into the same wall next season.