Suns Slammed For Devin Booker Contract Extension

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker is swimming in money after agreeing to a two-year, $145 million extension.

While the Suns should be happy to have their best player under contract until the 2029-30 season, not everyone is a fan of the move.

ESPN insider Kevin Pelton criticized the Suns for the signing.

"It doesn't take advanced statistical projections to suggest that Booker will probably not merit a $70 million-plus salary. Despite playing 75 games last season, his most since 2016-17, Booker was neither chosen an All-Star nor to an All-NBA team," Pelton wrote. "He's made All-NBA just twice in his career and only received MVP votes once. (That came in 2021-22, when Booker finished fourth in the voting and was chosen for the All-NBA first team.)

"During his prime, Booker has been more like a top 25 NBA player than a top 10 one. And while he should still be an All-Star contender by the time this extension kicks in, shortly before his 32nd birthday, it's more likely that Booker will be a complementary piece than the centerpiece the Suns have made him.

"... Booker's loyalty didn't translate into any kind of discount, and the Suns are taking a considerable risk by agreeing to this extension with so much time remaining on Booker's current contract."

The Suns have been holding onto straws to keep Booker in the fold, and he would have been silly to decline an extension like this.

Whether or not the Suns build around him long-term, both sides benefit from this deal.

Booker gets the financial security for two more seasons, getting paid more than $70 million per year after he turns 30. The Suns get their best player on the team under contract for longer, but if a trade comes about, Booker's price just went way up.