When was Devin Booker drafted? Looking back at Suns star's pathway coming into NBA

Devin Booker has been a cornerstone of the Phoenix Suns' return to the top of the NBA, as the franchise has become a legit title contender over the past few years. Booker has emerged as a superstar during his time in Phoenix and will look for another Finals run with the Suns this season.

Playing alongside Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker has a golden opportunity to lead the franchise to the title, as he enters his ninth NBA season.

Devin Booker moved to the NBA nine years ago and joined Phoenix with the 13th pick of the 2015 Draft. Booker shined early for the struggling Suns and became the first Phoenix player to become part of the All-Rookie Team (2016) in more than a decade (Amar'e Stoudemire, 2003).

"We thought he had a lot of potential. We loved his character and work ethic, his size and his shooting ability stood out. I think sometimes when you're on a team with a lot of talent like Devin was at Kentucky, all that talent can do one of two things: it can mask some of your deficiencies if you do lack in some areas. I think in Devin's case, it was the opposite of that," Suns then GM Ryan McDonough said about Booker, via Wikipedia.

In his second season with the team, he improved his scoring averages from 13.8 ppg to 22.1 ppg, while making history with the 70 points he posted vs the Boston Celtics on March 24, 2016. It was a historic night for Booker, who became the youngest player to have 60 or more points in a game.

Phoenix then made him its franchise player following a max extension for five years and $158 million in the summer of 2018. He won the three-point contest in the All-Star Weekend a few months ago (February 2018), but the Suns didn't play in the postseason again.

Starting from 2020, things became even better for Devin Booker. He became an All-Star for the first time in his career and shined during the Orlando Bubble, being an MVP candidate and making it to an All-NBA Team (then called All-Seeding Games Teams, as games took place in the Bubble).

A year later, he made it to the All-Star Game for a second year in a row, while guiding Phoenix to the playoffs for the first time in 11 years (2010). The Suns made it to the NBA Finals, but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games, despite holding a 2-0 lead.

Devin Booker continued its ascension to stardom with All-Star appearances and another postseason run, leading Phoenix to a 64-18 record (franchise-best) in 2022. The Suns, though, couldn't make it past the Western Conference semi-finals in 2022 and 2023.

At the same time, Phoenix awarded him with another max contract extension in 2022, this time for four years and $224 million, while he headlined the cover of NBA 2K23.

Did Devin Booker play in college before moving to the NBA?

Devin Booker spent only one season in the NCAA, playing college basketball during the 2014/15 season. He was a member of the famous Kentucky Wildcats, who made it to the Final Four and lost to Wisconsin.

Booker had averages of 10.0 ppg, on 41.1 percent from beyond the arc, coming off the bench and spending 21.5 minutes on the floor. After the 2015 Final Four, he decided to move to the NBA.

After eight seasons with Phoenix, Devin Booker has cemented himself as a superstar, but he is still missing an NBA championship. He will now have a great opportunity to claim it, as the Suns are among the grand favorites for the championship.