Devin Booker embarking on biggest challenge of his Suns career

We want to believe in Devin Booker. We want to believe a record contract extension is a story of loyalty, not money.

I want to believe this means forever.

Booker has seen rebuilds gone awry. He has lived through some of the darkest chapters in Suns history. He knows the Suns are again popular targets of mockery and ridicule, predicted by oddsmakers to win a paltry 30.5 games next season.

I want to believe that Booker views the situation much differently. That he’s vibing on the new energy, inspired by the offense cooked up by new head coach Jordan Ott, one that promises movement and pace.

I want to believe he’s committed to becoming a plus-defender and an MVP candidate once again, at all costs, whatever it takes. I want him to play angry like the younger Book did, that he’s now spending the offseason with a giant bag and an even bigger chip on his shoulder.

I want him to be the guy who flies around the court and tears through defenses with impunity. I want him to be the hunter and not the hunted, a player who was frequently swarmed and frustrated by opposing defenders under the past two head coaches.

I want to believe he’s about to unleash a monster.

Finally, I want to believe Booker wouldn’t stick around on a sinking ship just to cash in on a supermax extension and then ask for a trade in 1-2 years. Not when Phoenix fans would pay the ultimate price. Not when cold-hearted calculus suggests the best time to trade Booker just passed, and the Suns chose to reward him instead.

After all, Booker will receive over $206 million from 2027-2030. His annual wage jumps from $61 million to $69.9 million to $75.5 million in the final three years of his deal. He will be north of 31 years old at that point, and with each passing year, the contract gets harder to trade.

Either way, this is the biggest challenge of Booker’s illustrious career.

Many outsiders believe this is a colossal blunder. Stat nerds will tell you that Booker is no longer a top 15 player, that he’s more like a fringe All-Star earning top of the market dollars. Especially when Bradley Beal’s buyout money will likely be squatting on the salary cap for five years. Especially at a time the Western Conference seems historically deep.

But Booker is also our successor to Larry Fitzgerald, who was beloved in Arizona despite a career losing record (125-136) and zero championships with the Cardinals. Eerily, Booker’s record in Arizona is 325-348, the exact same winning percentage as Fitzgerald (325-348, 48%). Let’s hope that changes for the better.

Bottom line: One-town athletes are rare in professional sports. They are special. They connect. They transcend. They speak to uncommon loyalty. They go beyond the calculus of sports because they are all about community, and the special relationships that can exist in professional sports. If you only stay in one place.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta mornings from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports.

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