Devin Booker, with $145M max extension, faces his biggest challenge with Suns

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LAS VEGAS — The list of NBA players who stayed with one organization throughout their careers reflects loyalty, but also success. Many share a common denominator.

Dirk Nowitzki shot fadeaway jumpers for all 21 of his seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. Kobe Bryant soared for 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers. Tim Duncan went off the glass for 19 years with the San Antonio Spurs.

Hall of Fame careers. All in the same jersey colors. All won championships.

This is what Devin Booker, star guard of the Phoenix Suns, faces as the organization builds around him, placing the future firmly in his hands. The 28-year-old guard on Wednesday reached an agreement on a two-year max extension estimated at $145 million, a move designed to keep Booker in the desert through the 2029-30 season. The $72.5 million annual extension salary is the richest in NBA history.

Over 10 seasons, Booker has made it clear. He likes Arizona. He appreciates the strong bond he has built with the city and relishes the possibility of finishing his career in one place. However, for this to be meaningful, the relationship must extend beyond comfort. Somehow, it has to be about positioning the Suns to win their first championship. Booker has done this once. Doing so again will be difficult.

The Suns are in transition. Last season, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Since then, they have taken the necessary steps, shedding star power and overhauling the roster. Kevin Durant is gone. Bradley Beal is expected to follow. Phoenix is trying to change its identity by emphasizing toughness, length and athletic ability.

The Suns added explosive guard Jalen Green and defensive-minded wing Dillon Brooks in the Durant trade with the Houston Rockets. They traded for Charlotte big man Mark Williams and drafted center Khaman Maluach, forward Rasheer Fleming and sharp-shooter Koby Brea. It’s an OK start, but how this all will look under first-year coach Jordan Ott remains unknown. The Suns, which have limited draft assets, may be better next season. They could be worse.

Reversals require patience.

Letsgo https://t.co/aTkxI1ZJPz

— Book (@DevinBook) July 10, 2025

Suns fans love Booker, the 13th pick of the 2015 draft, because he stayed loyal through the dark years. The Suns won 23, 24, 21, 19 and 34 games in his first five seasons. Booker put up big scoring numbers, but no one cared much because the Suns didn’t win. Former Suns coach Earl Watson was once asked during those early days if he expected Booker to become an All-Star one day. Watson said he expected Booker to become a starter in the Western Conference finals. Once the young guard reached that level, Watson said, everything else would follow. It has.

Under then-coach Monty Williams during the 2020-21 season, Booker and veteran point guard Chris Paul led a young Phoenix team on a surprising run to the NBA Finals, where the Suns lost in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks. The following season, they posted a franchise-record 64 wins, and Booker finished fourth in MVP voting. He was only 25, among the NBA’s top talents.

In 2023, the Suns went all in, trading part of their young core and future draft assets for Durant. That first season with Durant, the Suns lost to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. Booker was excellent in those playoffs, averaging 37.2 points and shooting 60.2 percent to help beat the Los Angeles Clippers in five games. Against the Nuggets, he averaged 30.8 points, shooting 54.8 percent from 3-point range.

That was Booker at his best. A guard who played with an attitude and spirit that he could not be stopped. And that’s the Booker we haven’t seen as much lately. The only Booker where an extension like this makes sense. Last season, he still placed among the top 15 in the league in scoring and assists, but his efficiency numbers were among the worst of his career. The edge wasn’t as consistent or sharp.

Maybe it was the 2023 trade for Beal, who was never a strong fit. Perhaps it was the organizational instability. (Booker is about to have his eighth head coach in 11 seasons.) Or maybe he felt caught between roles, uncomfortable being the alpha alongside someone as accomplished as Durant. (Sometimes last season, Booker seemed more aggressive playing with the Phoenix reserves.)

As Phoenix’s career scoring leader, Booker is respected throughout the sport. He earned praise during last summer’s Paris Olympics, a star playing a more minor role for the greater good. Opposing coaches love him because he plays the right way. However, resets can be difficult for star players. Competing for a championship is intoxicating. Fighting to make the Play-In Tournament is not. Many ask out.

This will be Booker’s toughest challenge as the Suns navigate a difficult transition. Having a strong voice in the locker room, elevating teammates and staying patient. It’s his team.

(Photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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