It looks like there is no doubt for the Phoenix Suns about the future of their franchise. They have decided to put it in the hands of their 21-year-old guard Devin Booker. According to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, Suns and Booker are working on a five-year, $158 million max-extension, with terms expected to be finalized over the weekend.
Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns are progressing toward finalizing a 5-year, $158M maximum contract extension as soon as the weekend, league sources tell ESPN. Suns presented the offer to Booker in Los Angeles today.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 3, 2018
Devin Booker is entering the fourth year of his rookie deal which saw him getting $2.2 million in 2017. This new contract will give him a huge raise, but it is something that Suns felt like they needed to do in order to finally make a push for the playoff spot in the Western Conference. This is certainly something that is in the reach for the organization, given the fact that they surrounded Booker with top-notch young talents including this year’s number one overall pick DeAndre Ayton and last year’s third overall pick Josh Jackson.
Booker spoke about his affection to the Suns organization on numerous occasions before and said that he intends to stay in Phoenix for a long time.
“I’ve been treated right from the day I was drafted, even when I was a rookie and didn’t play much.” – said Booker recently. “The city of Phoenix took me in with open arms and made me a part of their family. I’ve learned the history and traditions of the team. I know how much the city cares about the franchise and that means a lot to me, playing somewhere where people actually care about the franchise. I love it here, I bought a house here and I intend to be here for a long time.“
Coming out of Kentucky, Devin Booker surprisingly fell down in the 2015 NBA Draft, allowing the Suns to pick him up with the 13th overall pick. After a respectable rookie campaign, in which he received NBA All-Rookie First Team honors, Booker established himself as one of the league’s most prized young talents in the following two seasons. In the last season, he posted career highs in almost all statistical segments, averaging 24.9 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. He was also the NBA Three-Point Contest champion for the 2017-18 season.
