Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Koby Brea (4) reacts during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Suns Rookie Drawing Comparisons to Devin Booker

Originally posted on Phoenix Suns on SI
By Connor Moreno | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 10:50 AM ET

Phoenix Suns fans can't get enough of their new rookie, former Kentucky guard Koby Brea.

Through three games in the NBA Las Vegas Summer League, Brea's lights-out shooting and uncanny ability to create his own buckets are reminding fans of the franchise's greatest player of all time, and Brea's new teammate -- Devin Booker.

Koby Brea pic.twitter.com/zfyq0OzyKL
— max hodder (@maxhodder) July 12, 2025

If you don’t know who Koby Brea is, you soon will

A career 44% 3 point shooter on 5 attempts a game in College

Truly an elite shot maker

Went 4/5 from 3 in his Summer League Debut for the Suns

pic.twitter.com/XWp5pJJ4Ev
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) July 12, 2025

The Koby Brea - Devin Booker comparisons are all well and good. That is unless you’re being overly serious about it. Then, pump the breaks. pic.twitter.com/d0eqhLk3XC
— Espo  (@Espo) July 14, 2025

In three games in Vegas, Brea is averaging 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 24.0 minutes per game on 42.4-42.9-100 shooting splits. Last season with Kentucky, Brea flashed with 11.6-point, 3.2-rebound and 1.3-assist averages on 47.0-43.5-91.4 splits.

The Suns, as part of the historic seven-team Kevin Durant trade, moved up to the No. 41 pick in the 2025 NBA draft to take Brea along with Rasheer Fleming at 31 and Khaman Maluach at 10.

Brea is looking like one of the biggest steals of the draft midway through Summer League play, which is a huge sigh of relief considering he's part of the trade that ended the Durant era and kickstarted this retooling era the Suns are in now.

It might be a stretch to say that Brea can step in and immediately impact the roster in place of Bradley Beal whenever he is bought out, but he should prove to be a nice rotational piece for a team that is aiming to grow together over the next handful of seasons. He'll surely look nice next to Booker,

In fact, Brea revealed that Booker is one of his inspirations and someone he has modeled his game around growing up.

"He's definitely somebody that I've looked up to for a very long time, and I see a lot of me in him and a lot of him in me," he said.

In Phoenix's last Summer League game, a 94-76 shellacking where seemingly anyone not named Ryan Dunn could get it going -- he finished as the only player in double figures with 18 points -- Brea had a rough shooting night, far from the level he was playing at in games prior. He finished with two points on 1-of-9 shooting from the field and 0-of-4 from beyond the arc.

Fans shouldn't cling to this one performance too much, though, as rookies (especially) tend to struggle adapting to the pace of Summer League despite Brea hitting the ground running.

Brea might have been taken 10-20 picks later than he should have, but he has certainly already made waves among the Suns fanbase and is sure to be a fan favorite entering this season.