Devin Booker has already played 10 seasons in the NBA. Picked 13th in the 2015 NBA Draft, the 6’6″ guard has set himself apart as one of the league’s premier scorers and playmakers.
However, for all the individual accolades he has collected — four All-Star selections and two All-NBA citations — Booker has been unable to lift the Phoenix Suns to the very top. Since their memorable run to the finals in 2021, the Suns have struggled to progress beyond the second round. More disappointingly, they missed the postseason altogether last season, despite boasting a roster featuring Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
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With that said, ESPN pundit and former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins placed the spotlight on Booker, claiming that this coming season will truly determine if he’s a bona fide superstar or just a highly-paid scorer.
Put up or shut up
NBA history has shown that true superstars can elevate their teammates’ play and push their franchises to the next level. In this sense, Booker has yet to prove himself as a leader who can carry a team to championship glory.
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Although he has shown glimpses of hardcourt brilliance, averaging 25.6 points and 7.1 assists last season, the undeniable fact is that the Suns have yet to establish themselves as a legitimate contender in the West since losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals.
“I’m looking at Devin Booker right now and I’m saying he’s on the clock. And when I say on the clock, it’s time for Devin Booker to show the world that he belongs,” Perkins said on “NBA Today.”
“And when I say belong, belong in the company of an Anthony Edwards, belong in the company of an SGA. Can he be a guy that could be that guy, that number one option of this Phoenix Suns franchise? And I’m waiting to see it,” he added.
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Perkins’ sentiments carry considerable weight. Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have clearly established themselves as the cream of the crop of shooting guards, especially after battling for the Western Conference crown last season. Booker, meanwhile, has racked up plenty of style points and not much beyond that.
“Like, yes, he went to the NBA Finals, you know, three or four years ago. And yes, but he had CP3. He had DeAndre Ayton. And now, all of a sudden, you done lost a lot of coaches throughout these last four years. You done lost a lot of players. Now I’m ready to see and it’s time for Devin Booker to prove that he belongs in that elite company,” Perkins asserted.
The Suns are a mess
The fact that Booker also signed a two-year, $145 million contract extension that would keep him in the Valley until the 2029-30 season places more pressure on him to deliver postseason success — a task that will prove difficult given the Suns lost Durant and Beal and replaced them with Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks.
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ESPN’s Tim Bontemps highlighted that the franchise has bigger priorities to address beyond Booker and the current roster.
“They’re 30th in the future power rankings. And when you look at where the Suns are at, it’s not a huge shock, right?” the veteran journalist stated. “This ranking takes into account what your draft pick situation is. The Suns obviously don’t have any draft picks going forward. It takes into account your financial situation. They just waived $100 million of Bradley Beal’s contract.”
While the Suns have a long road ahead before breaking into the Western Conference’s elite, there is a significant silver lining as they head into the new season. They still have Booker — a supremely talented shooting guard with all the skill and confidence needed to turn things around in Phoenix.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Teams section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.