Charles Barkley Shocked over Devin Booker Earning $70 Million ‘To Dribble Stupid Ball’

During the 16 years he played in the NBA, Charles Barkley earned a little over $40 million in paychecks. As a former league MVP, that figure was fine. Now, that is what many rotational players earn. Star players, such as Devin Booker, will soon make that much in a little more than half a season.

His recent contract extension will see him earn an average of $72.5 million from 2028 to 2030. That becomes the highest salary among all American sports leagues, and highlights how much the NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement provides.

The NBA’s average salary of over $10 million is head and shoulders above what other leagues can muster. The league’s global reach and massive revenue possibilities make it easy for teams to pay their players those figures.

For someone like Barkley, such a figure would have been unthinkable back in his day. He has already talked about how players should behave when they get such absurd amounts of money coming into their bank accounts. He reiterated that notion while on the Dan Patrick Show.

He should just go around shaking people’s hands. God bless these guys for how much money they make. But these guys should all be in a good mood. Think about it, Devin Booker is going to make $70 million to dribble a stupid basketball. Why shouldn’t he be in a good mood? He is the luckiest dude in the world.

Charles Barkley said

The Hall of Famer added that NBA players work 6-7 months a year, while staying at luxury hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton and the 4 Seasons. Then they work just a couple of hours a day, 4 times a week. That should be enough, along with these millions of dollars, to keep players happy.

Devin Booker won’t see that money for next 3 years

Devin Booker signed the contract extension to keep him with the Phoenix Suns until the 2029-30 season. That was the clearest indication the franchise gave the Kentucky alum that he is their franchise cornerstone.

With that comes the pressure to prove his worth. These last two years were wasted after the top brass’ experiment with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal failed miserably. Now, he would hope that the team will do whatever is needed to fix their roster problems.

The next three seasons, Booker will not see a penny of that new extension. Instead, he will continue to play under his existing contract. It still pays him a pretty penny, as he earns an average of $55 million a year.

But he also knows that if he does not perform to the standards of that contract, he could find himself in a situation akin to what his rival, Luka Doncic, faced last season at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks.

Devin Booker will need to learn to play alongside Jalen Green

In their efforts to try to fix their past mistakes, the Phoenix Suns have brought in Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks from the Houston Rockets. The latter is a great addition as he brings a veteran presence, toughness, and much-needed perimeter defense.