Suns' owner Ishbia says Devin Booker trade will 'Never happen,' Booker says he doesn't want one

This summer, Kevin Durant will be the big domino to fall — all signs point to Durant and the Suns parting ways in a trade. Don't take my or any other reporter's word for it, listen to what Suns owner Mat Ishbia — whose "all-in" aggressive style led to the trades to acquire Durant and Bradley Beal — told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon:

According to Ishbia, a "pivot and reload" around Booker could be the direction the franchise chooses this summer.

Plenty of front office people around the league think the Suns should go one more step: Trade Devin Booker. The Rockets are interested and control many of the future picks that Phoenix traded away (the Suns don't fully control their own first-round pick until 2032). This situation could be similar to Brooklyn, where the team trades to regain control of its own picks, allowing for a true bottom-up rebuild.

That is not happening. Ishbia made that crystal clear.

"Never happen," Ishbia said, interrupting the question. "It's silly. So here's what I'll tell you: I have Devin Booker in the prime. In order to win an NBA championship, you got to have a superstar. You got to have a great player."

What's more, Booker doesn't want it. Booker has long idolized Kobe Bryant, one of the few players in recent decades to spend his entire career with one team, and Booker wants to follow in those footsteps.

"I take pride in the community in Phoenix, the people that have supported me since I was 18 when things were ugly. And the people that are with us, we just fell short of accomplishing what we want. So I want to do it, and I want to do it here. That's the responsibility of being a franchise player, and I wear that with honor. So it might not look the most pretty right now, but we got to get it done and I'm going to do it."

There should be no doubt Booker means every word of this. However, the list of superstar players who have said they never wanted to leave a city and then asked for a trade a few years later is longer than we have room for on the Internet. The real question is how Booker feels in a couple of years (as his next contract starts to come up) if the team isn't contending and he sees no path forward.

Ishbia doesn't plan to find out because he wants a quick pivot to move this team back into contention. Fast. How the Suns do that while also reaching the goal of getting under the second tax apron next season will be a Herculean task for GM James Jones.

It's going to be a wild summer in Phoenix. Just don't expect a "trade Booker" wild summer. He's staying.

Topics

Suns' Mat Ishbia opens up on potential Kevin Durant trade, says moving Devin Booker would be 'silly'

Phoenix is still firmly in win-now mode, according to its owner
CBS Sports - 1h
Report: Houston has repeatedly shown trade interest in Suns star Devin Booker

Houston has repeatedly expressed trade interest in Suns star Devin Booker, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports, but Phoenix isn’t yet open to such a deal.
Yahoo Sports - 3h
Suns' Devin Booker says 'vibes are low' for Mavericks since trading Luka Doncic to Lakers

Dallas stunned the NBA world by trading Doncic to Los Angeles last month
CBS Sports - 3d
James Dolan says Knicks were going to trade for Vince Carter but medical team said he had a 90% severed Achilles tendon

"Was there ever a trade or signing that didn’t happen, but you really
Yahoo Sports - 22h
Madison Booker may not be done adding to her trophy case

After a stellar regular season, Madison Booker could be adding more hardware to her trophy case
Yahoo Sports - 3h
Kevin Durant trade rumors: Suns want three first-round picks, young player in return, per report

Durant was reportedly upset that the Suns included him in trade talks in February
CBS Sports - 3d
If Trey Hendrickson, Bengals trade market collapses, what happens next?

A new update says the Trey Hendrickson trade market might've dried up.
Yahoo Sports - 52m
Putin says he's open to ceasefire, but wants to eliminate 'causes of this crisis'

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is open to a 30-day ceasefire, as proposed by the U.S., but suggested vague terms for his support, including wanting to eliminate the root “causes of this ...
The Hill - 1d
Sens. Josh Hawley and Cory Booker reintroduce bipartisan child labor bill

Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., are reintroducing legislation on Monday that would bar companies from receiving federal contracts if they’ve been found to have made serious, ...
NBC News - 4d
Ryan McLeod Has Something Now That He Never Had With Oilers

EDMONTON – They say the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Yahoo Sports - 3d
Canada ‘will never be part of the US’, says new PM Mark Carney amid trade war

Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor sworn in and expected to call election soon. Mark Carney has said Canada will never be part of the US, after being sworn in as the country’s 24th ...
The Guardian - 1h
This PGA Tour Player Says He's Never Met Anyone Better Than Him At Mario Kart 64

In addition to being a winner on the PGA Tour, golfer Joel Dahmen is a self-proclaimed ace at Mario Kart 64. The 37-year-old said in an appearance on Good Good recently that he's yet to meet ...
GameSpot - 1d
Ship not laden with toxic chemicals, says owner

Fears over toxic chemicals are allayed, and the government says there is no evidence of foul play.
BBC News - 3d
Trump says he considering cutting back on Canada tariffs as stock markets bounce

President Trump says he is considering reducing the new tariffs he announced on Canada's steel and aluminum as a response to Ontario's tax on electricity to the U.S. This comes as the stock markets ...
CBS News - 3d
Rays say they 'cannot move forward' with new stadium: 'Our commitment ... is unwavering'

Owner Stu Sternberg blamed events 'no one could have anticipated'
CBS Sports - 1d
Diana Taurasi says goodbye to one of the greatest careers in women's basketball history

Diana Taurasi wanted to take her time before deciding whether to retire
ABC News - 1d
Watch: 'Canada will never, ever be part of America', incoming PM says

Mark Carney says threats from Washington threaten Canada's way of live.
BBC News - 4d
Mirror, Express and Star owner says its print titles will be loss-making from 2031

Chief executive of Reach says he is committed to print, and higher online income will keep business afloat. The boss of the publisher of the Mirror, Express, and Star newspapers has said that its ...
The Guardian - 4d
Myles Garrett says he's happy to be back with Browns, that it's about winning and not money

Myles Garrett wants to see the Browns move towards being a contender.
Yahoo Sports - 2h
Most say Trump too erratic in economic moves: Survey

Most Americans think President Trump is too “erratic” in implementing his trade agenda as he slaps tariffs onto the country's top trading partners and they want him to combat high prices, according ...
The Hill - 1d
Micah Parsons starts social media spat after DeMarcus Lawrence says Cowboys can't win Super Bowl

Star pass rusher Micah Parsons of the Cowboys and now-former teammate DeMarcus Lawrence traded barbs on social media after Lawrence said he chose Seattle in free agency in part because he was never ...
Yahoo Sports - 16h
Browns: Devin Bush contract extension details revealed

The Browns and Devin Bush agreed to a one-year extension, and now the details of that contract have been revealed
Yahoo Sports - 6h
Trump says he's going to buy a Tesla as more Americans say they won't

After one of the worst single day sell-offs in Tesla’s history, President Donald Trump is throwing his support behind his advisor, billionaire Elon Musk, vowing to buy one of his cars
ABC News - 3d
Rubio Says a Cease-Fire in Ukraine Could Happen in ‘Days’ if Russia Agrees

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said top diplomats from the Group of 7 allies meeting in Canada should focus on ending the war. And he shrugged off President Trump’s threats to annex Canada.
The New York Times - 1d
Bills QB Josh Allen says he wants to spend his entire career in Buffalo: 'This is home to me'

Fresh off an MVP season and a record-setting extension, Allen said that he'll 'hopefully' stay with the Bills until he retires.
Yahoo Sports - 2d
Fernandes takes aim at Ratcliffe for saying some players ‘overpaid’ and ‘not good enough’

‘It’s not nice to hear certain things,’ says United captain Fernandes responds after co-owner’s critical interviews Bruno Fernandes has aimed a barb at Sir Jim Ratcliffe by stating no player ...
The Guardian - 12h
New tariffs on U.S. wine industry are a "massive problem," says one wine trade group president

President Trump's trade battle with Canada is taking hold on U.S. alcohol suppliers. Last week, Canada imposed a 25% tariff on several U.S. products, including wine. That was in response to new ...
CBS News - 19h
Trump calls Tesla boycott ‘illegal’ and says he’s buying one to support Musk

Standing in the driveway of the White House with Tesla vehicles, Trump said he would label violence against the company’s showrooms as domestic terrorism. Donald Trump said he is buying a “brand ...
The Guardian - 2d
Johnson says Congress will investigate attacks against Tesla owners, vehicles

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Wednesday that Congress will investigate attacks against Tesla vehicles and their owners as Elon Musk’s flagship electric vehicle company faces mounting backlash ...
The Hill - 2d
Commerce secretary says Trump wants TikTok deal done under current deadline

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Friday said President Trump would like to hammer out a deal on TikTok's future ownership under the current deadline, saying the president "doesn't like to ask ...
The Hill - 5h
Ontario premier says he needs 'to sit down as quickly as possible' with Trump on tariffs

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday that he needs "to sit down as quickly as possible" with President Trump regarding tariffs. ‘We're seeing inflation happening already, and it's unnecessary. We ...
The Hill - 3d
S&P 500 falls into correction territory as Trump’s trade war escalates. Here’s what history says could happen next.

The sharp drawdown on the U.S. stock market picked up steam on Thursday, pushing the S&P 500 into correction territory.
MarketWatch - 1d
Putin wants direct White House talks before Ukraine ceasefire, but says he is open to deal in principle

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for giving "so much attention" to the prospect of a Russia-Ukraine deal.
CNBC - 1d
Warriors' Stephen Curry, on the verge of his 4,000th 3-pointer, says he wants to play beyond current contract

Curry's contract is set to expire after the 2026-27 season
CBS Sports - 20h
Tiger Woods Says He Underwent Surgery on a Ruptured Achilles Tendon

The announcement came one month before the 2025 Masters Tournament, and will likely end the 15-time major winner’s 2025 campaign.
The New York Times - 2d
On the Run, a Hit Man Gives One Last Confession

Edgar Matobato says he killed again and again for former President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines. Now he’s trying to stay alive to testify.
The New York Times - 3d
Ship owner says arrested cargo vessel captain involved in North Sea collision is Russian

The captain of a cargo ship that collided with a U.S. tanker is a Russian national who remains in British police custody, the vessel’s owner said Wednesday.
NBC News - 2d
Canada's incoming prime minister says he'll meet Trump if Canadian sovereignty is respected

Incoming Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says he’s ready to meet with U.S. Donald Trump if he respects Canadian sovereignty and is open to talk about a common approach to trade
ABC News - 2d
Trump calls Tesla boycott 'illegal' and says he's buying one to support Elon Musk

Trump called Musk, the controversial leader of Tesla and a new government efficiency initiative, a "truly great American."
CNBC - 3d