Apr 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) and guard Devin Booker (1) react on the bench against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

14-Year NBA Veteran Urges Devin Booker to Leave Phoenix Suns

Originally posted on New Orleans Pelicans on SI
By Farbod Esnaashari | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 3:23 AM ET

While no team in the Pacific Division made it past the second round of the NBA Playoffs, there's one team in a much more dire situation than the rest - the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns had the highest team salary during the 2024-25 NBA season and couldn't even make the play-in tournament. Not only that, they were three games out of the play-in despite having both Kevin Durant and Devin Booker available for big stretches of the season.

Shams on KD:

"Conversations will now begin to pick up on a potential trade of Kevin Durant out of Phoenix over the next 2 to 3 weeks. Conversations will begin to heat up. 4 to 6 teams seriously interested in Durant potentially ahead of the NBA Draft" pic.twitter.com/O4PexqKtTz
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) June 4, 2025

With Durant likely leaving the team, former New Orleans Pelicans big man Kendrick Perkins wants Devin Booker to do the same thing. During a recent episode of NBA on ESPN, Perkins urged Booker to leave the Suns.

“This is gonna tell me a lot about Devin Booker," Perkins said. "He’s just starting his prime. His prime has been activated. This team is not going nowhere."

[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

"I don’t want to ever get to the point where I look at him and call him a loser, but if he comes to a place where he’s okay with being there and not leveling up to go to an organization where you actually can compete for a championship and you’re ready to just stay there for another rebuild, I got a problem with that," Perkins concluded.

There's a chance that the Phoenix Suns could get a decent haul for trading Kevin Durant, but if not, then it may be time for Booker to move on as well.

This article first appeared on New Orleans Pelicans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: