Devin Booker’s name is indelibly linked with the Phoenix Suns. Drafted by the Suns in 2015, he is not only their longest-tenured player, but his latest contract extension has made him the highest-paid player in NBA history in terms of annual salary. His new deal, a $145 million extension over two years, will see him earn $75 million per season.
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While that’s good news for Booker, former NBA player and coach Sam Mitchell believes the ownership may have mishandled the situation. Mitchell feels the money may have been an empty prize.
He pointed to the Suns’ underperformance since acquiring Kevin Durant in 2023 and their failure to even make the play-in tournament last year. “I’m a Devin Booker fan, always have been,” he prefaced, before laying into the Suns’ ownership.
“You start giving out money. For what? What did we achieve? What did we do? You’re giving me this money cause I’m the best player on our team, and you think it’s gonna make me happy. It’s a sugar high. What about winning? This team, to me, has been mismanaged,” added Mitchell.
Devin Booker recently signed a two-year, $145 million contract extension.
@SamMitchellNBA tells @BGeltzNBA why he isn’t crazy about the decision. pic.twitter.com/YEDkEIX7qa— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 12, 2025
Then again, the guard’s contribution to the Phoenix organization and fan base is larger. While Booker isn’t in the MVP conversation, he remains the face of the Phoenix franchise. He consistently puts up All-NBA-worthy numbers, and the truth is, no one understands the franchise and its fans quite like Book does.
Booker leads the franchise all-time in a list of records, and has repeatedly made sure to play near-dead rubber games, simply because the fans come to the arena to see him play.
Book has grown from a sixth man at Kentucky into a true franchise superstar in the past decade. He’s made it a point to connect with the city, the fans, and the community. In return, he’s felt real love from the people who show up to watch him play.
“Ten years into this city, it’s meant everything to me,” Book said a few months back. And it seems like Book will make sure he ends his career in Arizona.
Before that happens, though, Booker will be desperate to make a meaningful postseason run and try to grab a ring.
