Lately, the Phoenix Suns have heard a lot of trade suggestions, and there are a couple of active listeners, too. While they are not proactively curious to trade Devin Booker, why not? The four-time NBA All-Star guard has been linked with one of the Western Conference heavyweights ahead of the trade deadline.
As per reports, the Houston Rockets have emerged as a clear frontrunner in the race for Devin Booker. While most of us are currently seeing this as one of the biggest surprises in the 2024-25 NBA season, the trade might take place as well. With an impressive 26-12 record and a second seed in the Western Conference, the Rockets are looking to break it before the February 6 trade deadline.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Rockets have openly expressed their admiration for Booker. He remains their top interest in order to keep up their title hopes. However, the Suns have shown no signs of wanting to part ways with their star player, but things could change fast.
The Houston Rockets are the favorites to land Devin Booker in a potential trade, per @BovadaOfficial
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 16, 2025
Houston Rockets -200
San Antonio Spurs +250
Golden State Warriors +950
Atlanta Hawks +950
Detroit Pistons +1500 pic.twitter.com/intrCsUgjo
Despite MacMahon’s insights, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has reiterated that there seems to be a steadfast commitment from the Suns to retain Booker. According to him, this could just be another trade rumor that could go in vain. Nevertheless, the Rockets possess significant draft capital, particularly assets that originally belonged to the Suns.
Devin Booker Is Getting Better At Scoring
Devin Booker is starting to look like the explosive scorer we know him to be. The kind of player who can catch fire and take over a game at any moment. In his last five games, he’s been averaging 26.6 points. And it is a great sign as he tries to get back into the rhythm of consistently hitting those 30-point games.
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With his recent performance, he’s now scored 30 points in a game a total of 196 times, putting him just 317 points behind Walter Davis for the Suns’ all-time scoring record. That’s a milestone he seems set to achieve sooner rather than later. This season has had its ups and downs for Booker as he adjusts to a new style of play under head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Could Devin Booker be the next star to request a trade? 👀 @ESPNNBA pic.twitter.com/IiWA915Ei2
— Numbers On The Board (@notbpod) January 8, 2025
This change has forced him to shoot more threes than ever, averaging a career-high of 7.7 attempts per game. Unfortunately, his accuracy from beyond the arc has taken a hit, sitting at just 33.7%, which isn’t great for him. It’s been a tough switch for Booker, who has had to move away from his usual mid-range shooting that defined his game for so long. But you can tell he’s working hard to adapt to this new approach.
Lately, things are starting to click for him again. In just the last four games, Booker has reached the 30-point mark three times, helping the Suns to a solid 3-1 record during that stretch. This was a big shift from earlier in the season when he struggled to break that mark. It seems like there’s a growing trust between him and Budenholzer, with the coach beginning to let Booker take the reins more often.
Also Read: Kevin Durant’s Modest Four-Word Reply To His Midrange Appreciation Sets Off A Social Media Storm
