Kobe Bryant mentored him before his tragic death in January of 2020, but is Devin Booker in a position to win a championship?
Kendrick Perkins believes the talented star is being held back with Phoenix.
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The Suns have made Booker a priority this offseason, including him in its new head coaching hire. Booker hopes to get off on the right foot with Jordan Ott — especially after thing did not go well in one season with Mike Budenholzer. Phoenix is willing to move on from Kevin Durant, but it selected Booker at No. 13 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. The four-time NBA All-Star is beginning the prime of this career, but the 28-year-old needs to be in a situation where he can be a contender for an NBA title.
He’s averaged over 25 points per game in seven of 10 seasons, but Perkins feels Booker’s future is not in the desert.
[Devin Booker]’s just starting his prime.”@KendrickPerkins believes Booker’s future might not be in Phoenix ???? pic.twitter.com/jxXCFL4MxM
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 4, 2025
“This is going to tell me a lot about Devin Booker,” Perkins said Wednesday on ESPN.
“He has been activated because he is 28 going on 29. He is just starting his prime. His prime has been activated. This team [Phoenix Suns] is not going anywhere. They are not even going to be a top-six seed in the west, I don’t care who they trade for. Right now, it’s the Mavs, Lakers, Nuggets, OKC, Minnesota, and Houston, and we could really keep going. I never want it to get to a point where I look at Devin Booker and call him a loser, but if he comes to a place where he is okay with being there and not go to an organization where you can actually level up and compete for a championship … I got a problem with that.”
Perkins said Booker would be staying with the Suns for another rebuild if he hangs around.
Stephen M. Smith is a writer for Ball Exclusives. You can follow him on X via @CoachingMSmith.Ken
