The Golden State Warriors have never been shy about chasing stars, but their latest connection may be the boldest one yet: Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker.
Booker has spent a decade in Phoenix and is under contract there for four more years, which is why he still looks like the kind of player who could end up staying with one team for the long haul. Even so, the Warriors are the kind of team that will keep circling if the Suns ever decide to rebuild and look to cash in their best asset.
The chatter picked up last week on the Warriors plus minus podcast, where Tim Kawakami pointed to Steve Kerr’s connection with Booker from their time together with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympic Olympics.
“I think the Warriors like him too much, if you ask me. But they love him.
Steve loves him. Booker loved playing for Steve," Kawakami said.
"I know the Warriors would be first in line saying, ‘we got three first round picks we can give you.’”
Kawakami and Marcus Thompson of The Athletic also made clear that a Booker deal remains highly unlikely. Their view was that this is more of a dream scenario for Golden State than a real one heading into the season.
That distinction matters, because the Warriors’ other star hunts have at least had some grounding in reality. Their push for Giannis Antetokounmpo at this year’s mid-season deadline felt like a matter of timing as much as anything else.
The same went for Kawhi Leonard, whom Golden State pursued before the deadline before coming up short on the two-time Finals MVP, who is now back with the Toronto raptors. Even their LeBron James interest in free agency had some life to it after he announced his departure from the Los Angeles Lakers in early July.
Booker is a different case. There have been no real signs that he’s unhappy in Phoenix, especially after the Suns turned in a surprise season and made the playoffs following the loss of former Warrior star Kevin Durant.
For Golden State to get seriously involved, the Suns would likely have to tumble badly this season and land somewhere in the bottom five, maybe even the bottom three, in the Western Conference. The NBA has seen stranger things, so nothing can be ruled out completely. But right now, Booker looks settled as Phoenix’s clear No. 1 option, and that’s not a role he would have in Golden State next to Stephen Curry.
He’ll still be on the Warriors’ list of possible trade targets this season. He just sits near the very bottom of the realistic ones.
In Other News...
Warriors Just Added Another Name To A Tough Two-Way Battle
The Warriors keep adding layers to a two-way competition that already looked crowded, and Chance McMillian is the latest name in the mix after signing an Exhibit-10 contract. McMillian spent nine summer-league games with Golden State and also got a look last season with Santa Cruz, where he appeared in 31 games, giving the organization another familiar prospect to track as camp approaches.
For McMillian, the next step is simple in theory and tricky in practice: show enough in training camp and the preseason to carve out a real opening. He is entering a battle that includes Graham Ike, Nick Boyd, Deivon Smith and Alex Toohey, and with only so much room at the bottom of the roster, the path to a two-way deal figures to come down to who performs best when the games start counting again. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors May Be Paying For Waiting Too Long On Draymond
Draymond Green has been part of the Warriors identity for his entire NBA career, which is why his current one-year deal carries more weight than a typical contract season. For a franchise that spent so long leaning on its established core, Greens situation has become a symbol of where the team stands now, caught between trying to keep one more window open and facing the reality of a roster that no longer looks built for the long haul.
Golden States patience with that core helped fuel a run that changed the organization, but it also left the front office in a familiar spot when the margins began to tighten. Greens future now sits in the middle of that tension, and the bigger question around him is not just what he means to the Warriors today, but what it says about how long the team waited to confront the costs of staying attached to its old formula. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Brought Back A Familiar Shooter For A Reason
Training camp signings have become a familiar part of the NBAs fall rhythm, and for teams like Golden State, they often have as much to do with the G League as the roster that opens the season. The Warriors have used that path before, bringing in guards who can get a closer look in camp before moving on to Santa Cruz, where the developmental work really begins.
This years version fits that same template, with Chance McMillian and Deivon Smith among the players added on Exhibit 10 deals. Both were with the Santa Cruz Warriors last season, and the setup gives Golden State a chance to keep continuity in its system while giving the players a runway to stick around and earn a bonus if they remain with the affiliate long enough. [Read more 🡒]