NBA Rumors: Insider predicts possibility of Devin Booker exiting Suns following disappointing season

It seems like the Phoenix Suns are headed for reconstruction, and perhaps Devin Booker is the price they are ready to pay. According to NBA insider and Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix host John Gambadoro, the Suns might separate their future from Booker if this season is unsuccessful.

Gambadoro said that Booker had been part of the Suns since they were among the worst teams in the league. Despite dire times in Phoenix, Booker never demanded a trade.

"He's never asked out. He's never wanted to leave. He has played on some real [bad roster]. ... But then it got good," Gambadoro said.

However, according to the insider, Phoenix has a bigger conundrum. Gambadoro suggested that the Suns trade Kevin Durant and Booker to get young players and draft picks to start over.

"The biggest question now is Booker," Gambadoro said. "Would Booker want to stay? But if you trade Booker you wouldn't get as much as you would get for Durant. ... So if you wanted to, you could trade Durant and Booker, completely start over, have a bunch of young players in draft pick."

"But again, unless you could make a trade with Houston, tanking does not do them no good because Houston has their picks."

According to Sports Illustrated, as of now, the Houston Rockets have the Suns' No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 draft. Moreover, they also have a legitimate chance to pick one of the top four picks.

Durant calls out podcaster for blaming him for Devin Booker's bad performances

Dan Bickley, a sports columnist, claimed that many people on the Phoenix Suns believe that Kevin Durant has had a bad influence on his teammate Devin Booker.

In a conversation with Vince Marotta on Arizona Sports, Bickley said that he had spoken to people from the franchise, and they all believed that Durant had taken out the heat from Booker.

"There is a lot of people who I talk to who say the exact same thing: that KD has had a bad effect on Devin Booker," Bickley said. "The chill vibe of Kevin Durant has brought down Devin Booker's temperature and it's noticeable."

Durant quickly called out Bickley for his claim in a since-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter).

"When book plays great, I get no mention. When he has a tough game, it’s somehow because of my presence?? That logic is crazy @danbickley," Durant wrote.

Durant called out Dan Bickley [Credit: X/@KDTrey5]

Neither has Booker's average shots taken changed since Durant arrived, nor has his scoring average. However, Booker's offensive efficiency from the floor has been lowest this season in the last seven years.