Devin Booker’s case for superstar status has gotten a lot trickier, and the reason is pretty simple: the label follows winning.
There was a time when Booker fit neatly into that conversation. He was making noise in the postseason, landing on the cover of NBA2K and staking a claim in the “best shooting guard in the NBA” debate.
Now, though, the landscape around him has changed. He’s still a star, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
But if you’re going to argue he’s being paid like a superstar, then the expectation is that he performs like one.
That tension is a big reason why moving Booker doesn’t make much sense for the Phoenix Suns right now. A trade would likely bring back a mix of players and financial relief, along with draft picks that probably won’t turn into lottery selections.
And since the Suns don’t control enough of their own draft capital, going through a few lean seasons just to wait on those picks and dead money to clear would leave them stuck in a long stretch of losing. That’s no way to build a youth movement.
Phoenix still needs a star, and Booker is one.
He remains a perennial All-Star and made an All-NBA Team just two seasons ago. But he also hasn’t won a playoff game since 2023, and that’s why the “superstar” label doesn’t fit him right now.
The good news for Booker is that there’s still a path back.
The 2026-27 Suns should give him chances to do damage with more space around him. Miles Bridges is in the mix, and if Jalen Green can stay healthy for the full season, Booker should get more clean scoring chances.
That matters because defenses can’t key in on one guy when there are multiple threats creating gravity. But the next step is on Booker: he has to be more efficient.
Last season was a clear dip by that standard. Booker shot 45.6% from the field, his lowest mark since the 2017-18 season, and hit 33% from three for a second straight year. That said, he has reached 38.3% from deep multiple times in his career, so a rebound isn’t some wild leap.
The gap between “bad shooter” and “good shooter” can be razor thin. The league average from three last season was 36%.
Booker would have needed just 15 more made threes to climb from 33% to 37%, which would have added 45 points over the course of the season. That would have nudged his scoring average from 26.1 to 26.8 points per game.
Small changes, big perception shift.
That’s why this isn’t really about Booker needing a dramatic reinvention. It’s about a few more shots falling.
The clutch is another place where he has room to climb back into that upper tier. In recent seasons, Booker has often been forced to carry the offense alone late in games, and defenses know exactly where the ball is going.
They crowd him, make life miserable, and dare somebody else to beat them. That’s where superstar players separate themselves - not by merely getting through those possessions, but by controlling them.
Phoenix can help him there, too. The Suns were second in the NBA in three-pointers attempted during clutch moments and 17th in points in the paint.
A different mix could matter. If Bridges and Green are getting downhill more often, Booker should see cleaner looks from the outside.
Defenders have to respect penetration, and that can open the floor in a hurry.
The issue is whether he knocks those looks down. Booker went 30-of-92 on wide-open threes last season, which came out to 32.6%. That number has to rise if the rest of his production is going to rise with it.
Still, the numbers only open the door. Winning decides whether he walks through it.
Superstar status is about more than a stat line. It’s about production, yes, but also about lifting the players around you and helping your team win.
Booker can put up big numbers on a losing team, but that usually earns a different kind of label. The question is whether Phoenix can clear its 38.5 projected win total.
There aren’t many superstars living on losing teams.
The belief here is that Booker can get back there. The optimism comes partly from fandom and partly from the idea that the environment around him could finally give him the right kind of support.
Steve Nash didn’t win his first MVP until he was 30 years old. That doesn’t mean Booker is headed for an MVP, but it does show how quickly a career arc can shift when the pieces line up.
So the path is there. Booker doesn’t need to become somebody else.
He needs to shoot better, help raise the level of the roster around him and push Phoenix back toward the top of the Western Conference. The efficiency can reopen the conversation.
Winning will settle it.
In Other News...
Luke Kennard Is Already Facing A Tough Suns Reality
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For Suns fans, that makes the adjustment worth watching closely. Kennard can still be a useful piece, but the job description some people may have assumed for him is bigger than what his game naturally supplies. If Phoenix is counting on him to slide into Allens old role without a noticeable drop-off, there is already reason to think his minutes and overall impact may end up more limited than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Fans Will Hate This Stephen Curry Draft Night What-If
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The part that really turns the what-if dial up comes from ESPN's Brian Windhorst, who reported the Suns were even willing to include Amar'e Stoudemire in a package to get Curry. Stoudemire would later leave in free agency and was recently inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, which only adds to the what could have been feeling around a draft night that might have changed the franchises path in a very big way. [Read more 🡒]
Suns May Feel This Royce O'Neale Loss Sooner Than Expected
Royce ONeale had become one of those useful, steady pieces the Suns could lean on without a lot of noise. He started plenty of games, fit on both ends of the floor and gave Phoenix the kind of versatility that can quietly hold a rotation together. His scoring also climbed to a career high last season, a reminder that he was doing more than just filling space.
Now hes headed to Charlotte, where the Hornets are stockpiling veteran players as they try to shape a new team culture. For the Suns, the move could be felt sooner than expected because ONeales value was never just in one area, it was in all the little things that made the lineup work. Charlotte expects him to keep contributing, and Phoenix will have to figure out how to replace that broad, reliable presence. [Read more 🡒]