Top Three Trade Destinations for Devin Booker

Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker is apparently not too happy with his situation in Phoenix. After reports circulated the Booker was disappointed that the Suns did not manage to sign D’Angelo Russell in the offseason, many began to wonder if Booker is beginning to have enough of being a Sun.

The NBA is a very fast-moving league, so players can grow impatient very quickly with the team they’re on. We saw it with Trae Young, who’s in his second year, which caused the Hawks to acquire Clint Capela.

We saw it with the Timberwolves who went out to get Karl Anthony-Towns a star Point Guard in none other than D’Angelo Russell.

So, the Suns may repeat this course, but let’s assume they don’t. Let’s say they trade Booker to a different team and try to build around DeAndre Ayton and stack up on assets around their Center. If that would be the case, here are the top three teams to trade for him:

1. The Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks are desperate to make the playoffs next year. Their duo of John Collins and Trae Young finally got the inside help they need with Clint Capela as their new Center, but why stop there?

Booker would be an incredible asset that would transform the Hawks from playoff contenders to Championship contenders. Obviously, though, Booker would come at a high asking price, so a possible trade for Booker could look like this:

• Hawks Receive:
  • Devin Booker
• Suns Receive:
  • Dewayne Dedmon
  • DeAndre Hunter
  • Cam Reddish
  • Atlanta’s 2021 first-round pick

The Hawks have to give up a lot, and some may say this is too much, but that’s the price you’d have to pay to obtain a 23-year-old all-star who just started a five-year contract. Booker would immediately make this team the best offensive team in the East that would be a nightmare for any team to play, including the Bucks.

As for the Suns, they obtain a Shooting Guard with loads of talent (Cam Reddish) as well as one of the best young defenders in the league (DeAndre Hunter). They’d have a lot to work with as Reddish would actually get a starting opportunity and Hunter is already a great player. They’d still need to obtain another star, but between the two young players and the first-round pick, they’d be just fine.

2. The Detroit Pistons

I know what you’re thinking: “Don’t do that to Booker! He doesn’t deserve it!”

Well, regardless of whether or not you’re right, they’d still be bidders. The Pistons actually have quite a few assets they could give up in exchange for the 23-year-old. A trade between these two franchises could look like this:

• Pistons Receive:
  • Devin Booker
  • Phoenix’s 2022 second-round pick
• Suns Receive:
  • Luke Kennard
  • Sekou Doumbouya
  • Derrick Rose
  • John Henson
  • Detroit’s 2021 first-round pick

The Pistons get an obvious young superstar on their roster for the first time since the Goin’ to Work era. They finally have a clear player to build around and also have Blake Griffin to play alongside him. Since they’d still have their likely top-five pick, as well as Mykhailiuk and Bruce Brown, they really could become a good team in the near future.

The Suns, on the other hand, receive an entire core of players. Luke Kennard would replace Booker as the starting Shooting Guard. Although he’s not on the same level as Booker, Kennard is a solid, starting-caliber player. They also receive Sekou Doumbouya, who has a sky-high ceiling and could be one of the best players in the NBA one day, although he also could just turn out to be nothing, which is why Phoenix receives a first-round pick in 2021 in order to get another asset to build around Ayton.

3. Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets made it obvious that they are looking for a third star. They originally attempted to go after Bradley Beal, but they were shot down immediately, so they’re going to have to look elsewhere. Perhaps Booker could be traded instead, the Nets would likely not complain. A trade between the two franchises could look like this:

• Nets Receive:
  • Devin Booker
  • Jalen Lecque
• Suns Receive:
  • Spencer Dinwiddie
  • DeAndre Jordan
  • Caris Levert
  • Brooklyn’s 2022 first-round pick
  • Brooklyn’s 2024 first-round pick
  • Brooklyn’s 2022 second-round pick

If the Nets could acquire Booker, they’d easily become Championship favorites. No question. They’d become a dynasty that would rival the Miami Big 3 for the best Eastern Conference team of the 21st Century.

The Suns, on the other hand, get a truckload of picks and Caris Levert in similar fashion to the Clippers acquiring Paul George. They become stacked in trade assets with picks and can get a lot back for it. Players like Pascal Siakam and Jimmy Butler can come and they could get someone really good if they play their cards right.

Devin Booker likely won’t be traded and the Suns will actually trade some of their own assets to get Booker some help, but it’s always fun to look at a blockbuster trade possibility. Booker and the Suns will be fighting for a playoff spot in the bubble when the NBA returns and the Suns have a lot to prove to their young star that they can help him win games.