The 2024-25 NBA season featured an array of surprises few saw coming. The Phoenix Suns, who had aspirations to compete for a championship, didn’t even finish with a top-10 seed. Their inability to make the Play-In Tournament stamped their season as a disaster. Celtics legend Paul Pierce believes Phoenix should blow up their roster. He points to the Bucks and Knicks as a landing spot for two of the Suns’ biggest stars.
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Phoenix has dealt with injuries throughout the season, but not to the degree that the similarly ambitious Sixers did. As such, they can’t really use it as an excuse for their poor play. The Suns currently have a 36-45 record on the year with just one game remaining.
The team tried to restructure their roster by looking into potential Kevin Durant deals at the trade deadline. The two-time NBA champion voted against it. However, that doesn’t mean his future in Phoenix is secure. Many reports suggest the two parties will part ways in the offseason.
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett believe the writing is on the wall for the future of this team with this core. The former Celtics teammates believe Durant returning to New York with the Knicks is a viable option and would elevate them into a legit contender. But, if the Suns move on from KD, no other player’s status on the team is secure.
They took to their podcast, Ticket & The Truth, to vocalize their predictions for the Suns moving forward. Pierce believes the Bucks front office can capitalize on a possible Suns fire sale, with Devin Booker as a player to keep an eye on.
“Booker to Milwaukee can save Giannis,” Pierce said. “Giannis could be on his way out if things don’t turn. You got to be with a player like that if you’re trying to win.”
The Bucks aren’t in the same boat as the Suns in terms of disappointments but are quickly approaching those waters. Following their title in 2021, the Bucks have only made it out of the first round once in the last three seasons. One of those losses came at the hands of the eighth-seeded Heat in 2023.
Giannis has already applied pressure on the front office to make moves to improve this roster. Pierce’s belief that Booker could be the missing piece comes as a move to ensure Antetokounmpo remains with the Bucks. After all, Booker’s play style complements Giannis.
Booker has drastically improved his ability to play make for others. But he doesn’t need the ball to be effective. His prolific shooting ability would pose a great threat alongside Giannis in a plethora of two-man actions.
It’s easy to theorize about the pairing, but making it happen is difficult. It would cost the Bucks a pretty penny to make a trade for Booker happen. They only have one of their first-round picks, a 2031 one that seems far away. They also lack any real young talent. Frankly, they don’t have the assets to compete in a bidding war with teams like the Houston Rockets or Detroit Pistons.
The NBA has shown anything is possible with the Luka Doncic trade and even the Bucks acquiring Damian Lillard. Although it seems unlikely there is no ruling out the possibility Booker is a member of the Bucks next season.
