NBA trade rumors: Devin Booker nearing huge extension, Rockets discuss options for Cam Whitmore

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The Phoenix Suns came into this summer as one of the focal points of the NBA offseason with all eyes on the inevitable Kevin Durant trade and what would come after they finally moved the future Hall of Famer. 

We got the answer to the first part this week when they flipped Durant to Houston for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 overall pick (which became Duke big man Khaman Maluach). The acquisition of Jalen Green as the centerpiece of the Durant trade raised some eyebrows; the Suns backcourt was already crowded with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal before adding another shooting guard to the mix. 

The Suns would love to move Beal, but with another two years and $110 million remaining (and a no-trade clause he showed he won’t waive for anything less than an ideal situation at the deadline) he’s not going anywhere. While some on the outside have argued the Suns’ best path forward long-term is to move Booker for what would surely be a massive haul in return, he is the lone homegrown star and the longest tenured player on Phoenix’s roster. They have no interest in hitting the reset button in totality. 

That was further emphasized after the second round of the NBA Draft when ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explained that Booker was “active” in the team’s coaching search and in communication with the front office during Durant trade talks. Booker is also expected to be active in working out a record two-year, $150 million extension this summer, per Windhorst. 

That would take Booker through the 2030-31 season and effectively put him on a five-year, $321 million deal (including the three years and $171 million left on his current deal). That’s an awful lot of money, and it’s hard to blame Booker for happily signing on the dotted line for that, even if the Suns’ long-term plan aside from him is incredibly murky. 

On the other side of that Durant deal, the Houston Rockets are fully committed to trying to win a championship right now. That was already part of the goal, but with a young roster they could have looked to build more steadily off this past season’s success of earning the West’s No. 2 seed but exiting after a seven-game series with the Warriors. Instead, they’ve now made themselves a leading contender to the Thunder. To accomplish their goal of dethroning OKC, they might need to add a bit more veteran help. 

Along with Durant, Steven Adams signed an extension this month, and Fred VanVleet is expected to sign a new extension himself when free agency opens. However, the rest of the roster is young still, and after trading Dillon Brooks they probably want to add another veteran that can be a trusted, playoff rotation piece. To do that, they’ll have to move one more of their young players, and Cam Whitmore may very well be that guy. 

The Rockets have had numerous trade discussions about Whitmore in recent days, according to The Athletic. By getting Durant without having to part with any future draft assets or young players beyond Green, the Rockets still have plenty of options available to them on the trade market this summer. They could load up for another major deal, or look to find a veteran on a team looking to rebuild and flip someone like Whitmore (who doesn’t have a clear path to minutes on this Houston roster) for a better immediate fit. 

This news was originally published on this post .

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