Agree with not signing that extension yet. I'm probably just higher on Jalen than you are and think an Amen, Jalen are going to be a great backcourt capable of breaking down defenses. My biggest concern for this team is Sengun not being able to shoot and Ime not being able to get better at coaching offense and rotations. Still think we will be contenders next year with just a little tweaking for more depth in 3&D players.
Holy sh*t What about if they do an extension in summer 2025? Is the cap going up so much that some teams can still build a real title contender around that? That's making me question all supermaxes and whether everyone needs to go more balanced now. I've heard that, but didn't know it was going to get this serious this soon.
Is Booker still eligible for that level of money if he's traded? Is Luka just not getting a supermax deal because he wasn't already on one? Because yeah if we have to pay him that much money--or even anything remotely close to it--that takes me from a soft no to a hard "hell no". Also if that's what All-NBA dudes are going to be paid soon, Sengun's contract looks like the steal of the century thus far. IDK, if we have to make a big trade get me Lauri or MPJ or Cam Johnson or Naz Reid or somebody like that. Someone who really moves on the needle on our spacing. But I'm also fine if we just run it back. (Maybe do a much smaller trade to consolidate assets and improve the bench.)
I'm still a believer of Jalen's potential just starting to become more skeptical of how much of it he can actualize. I do think his extension is very good so I'd love to keep him at least through the contract. That's why having FVV pick up his option is so important. We can trade for a star without touching any of the young players. Jalen would work so much better attacking an already repositioned defense on a second action off a drive and kick out by Ja or Trae or Lamelo type. He's not great at creating gaps but he's amazing at attacking them so I want someone who can set that up for him. Same for Amen.
It’s kind of wild that everyone just blames Booker. Maybe because he is the subject of the thread. But Budenholzer might be part of the problem this year, if not a majority of it. He’s not a bad coach, but he is certainly not meshing with this team so far. I’m not completely sold on Booker, but I really don’t think you can judge him on this season at all. There is obviously a disconnect with him and the coach.
If Booker is traded he can’t do an extension until Summer 2026, because of the extend and trade rules. If he stays in PHX he could do an extension this summer. Booker is already on a 35% of the cap supermax third contract. His next extension will be his fourth, and he’ll have 10 years of experience so will be at the 35% max that way. Some of the sticker shock is bc of the projected cap increases. But yeah this is what Booker’s expected extension would look like. And this is why the long rookie extensions like Sengun’s will look so good. Sengun in his player option year 2029-30 would be 17% of the cap at $39M. Booker will be making $80M that year lol.
[Amick/Run It Back on FanDuel TV] The Houston Rockets have been looking at Devin Booker. Durant expected to have “robust” interest on the trade market.
He makes 35% of the cap bro. He isnt playing well enough to justify that kind of money, not to mention all the assets you will lose if you trade for him. I prefer Suns just pay him his 70M-80M salary and continue to be bad.
Not sure why you're saying this. If you go down the list of the best players to be traded these last few years, none of them have attached a max extension except those already expiring. KD, Harden, Lillard, Paul George, Kyrie all played out or playing out their contracts. Gobert signed an extension where he got less money. Mitchell's deal came 1 yr out from FA. It's possible Booker doesn't want to be traded. But if he does want to come to the Rockets, it won't be in order to get a max extension. He can get that in Phoenix while also having zero responsibilities to win given their current state. Like Bradley Beal in Washington.
I told you. The Suns will continue to try with Devin Booker and once he’s in his 30s and things don’t work out they will then say “Rockets, you can have him!”
Let's go through your examples (most of whom are in a different age range than Booker, and not comparable for that reason, but still): 1. KD traded to PHX: offered the max extension and turned it down -> now must be traded 2. Harden traded to BKN: offered the max extension and turned it down -> Harden demanded a trade 3. Harden traded to PHI: wasn't offered the max extension he was promised -> "Daryl Morey is a liar" -> Harden demanded a trade 4. Lillard traded to MIL: underperformed year 1 in MIL at age 33 -> MIL does not offer extension 5. Paul George traded to LAC: offered and signed max extension 6. Kyrie traded to DAL: N/A, he was an expiring contract 7. Mitchell traded CLE: offered and signed max extension Anyway, this isn't some secret insight. This is just how the league works. Prime age veteran "stars" of Booker's status don't happily play in places that aren't offering them the maximum amount of money they can as soon as they can. Sure, a team can choose not to offer that extension, but as soon as that happens the situation is F'ed. Or, if the player really underperforms / ages out (like Gobert) maybe they agree on a sub max deal. But if that's the case trading for that guy was a mistake in the first place.
Fine. Let's use the only younger player on that list. Donovan Mitchell was in Cleveland for 2 years before they agreed to an extension. So clearly that situation wasn't F'ed and Mitchell played at an all-star level for two years without a new contract rather than quit and ask for a trade.
So maybe the reality is that you don’t want to trade for a super max guy unless he’s Ant, Luka, Giannis, SGA, Jokic…because other than those guys no super max player is worth the money, and that really f#cks up your cap?
