The 2024-25 NBA season wasn’t kind to the Phoenix Suns in the slightest. Despite having Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on the roster, they missed the playoffs, including the Play-In Tournament, entirely. The front office spent the offseason making drastic changes to the roster which has certainly impacted their ceiling for the future. It may be easy to be discouraged, but Booker’s attitude remains high ahead of the upcoming season.
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It’s surreal how fast the NBA can change. Just four years ago, the Phoenix Suns were battling in the 2021 NBA Finals. Now, they are a team who aren’t expected to be competitive.
They made a swing for Kevin Durant a couple of years ago, which didn’t go as planned. This was followed by the acquisition of Bradley Beal, which turned out to be the final nail in the coffin. This past offseason, the Suns were able to offload the two All-Stars, accepting defeat in their quest for a championship with that core.
The one central figure who still remains with them is Devin Booker. The 6-foot-6 guard has remained loyal to Phoenix and will continue to be in the 2025-26 season. He is no longer the up-and-coming star he once was. Expectations have changed, and so has his role. In his media availability at the Suns’ media day, Booker shed light on himself amidst the chaos within the team.
“The leadership aspect is going to be more important than ever this year,” Booker said. “Just realizing our roster, the age of our roster.”
Phoenix has completely shifted its direction in terms of roster construction. Durant is 36 years old, while Beal is 32. Now, the team consists of a bunch of key players who are fairly young. Their big acquisition in the Durant trade, Jalen Green, is only 23. New big man, Mark Williams, is the same age, while lottery pick Khaman Maluach is 19 years old.
The Suns understand they aren’t competing for a championship as they are. However, they believe they have the blueprint to build upon this foundation to return to what they once were. That process will depend on Booker stepping into the leader that he and the organization believes he can be.
“I’m going to do what I can, I’m always going to use my voice,” Booker proclaimed.
It’s great that the Suns have a player as passionate and loyal as Booker at the helm. The team recognizes the importance of Booker not just to the team but to the franchise as a whole. During the team’s owner, Mat Ishbia’s media availability, he went in-depth regarding what makes Booker so special.
“He’s one of the greatest Suns of all time,” Ishbia declared. “He wants to be here, we want him here, the fans love him. How could we not have Devin Booker here?”
Booker has accomplished everything in his career aside from winning an NBA championship. He may have to wait a bit longer. But as fast as things can change for the worse, they can also change for the best. Booker will do his best to ensure that’s the outcome for Phoenix.
