A lot has been made of Devin Booker’s decision to sign a two-year $145 million extension this offseason that keeps him a member of the Phoenix Suns through the 2029-2030 season. With the team trading away Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets and Bradley Beal getting bought out, many wondered why Booker signed up to be a part of the franchise for the long term during his prime years.
On Media Day, Booker made it clear why:
Not only the longest tenured Sun, but also one of the oldest players on the roster, he’ll continue to take on a strong leadership role, one that he says will be the most important of his career.
“The leadership aspect is gonna be more important than ever this year,” Booker stated. “Just realizing our roster, the age of our roster, and just the experience that I’ve had and what I’ve seen,” Booker said when asked how vocal he plans to use his voice this season.
The Suns’ roster is significantly younger and inexperienced than it has been in recent seasons. The whole starting lineup projects to be under 30 for the first time in more than five seasons, and Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale project to be the only two tricenarians in the rotation to start the year.
While Durant and Beal are not on the team anymore, Booker said that no matter the situation, he’s always going to be vocal.
“I’m gonna use my voice always,” he said when asked how his leadership role is different this year with both players on different teams now.
At the press conference, Booker said he’s already spent a lot of time around the young players and that they’re asking him “the right questions.”
Booker, who turns 29 next month, is entering his 11th season with the Suns. He’s the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, a 4-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA selection.
Suns Basketball will be officially back in a little over a week, starting on October 3rd, when the Valley faces off against the Los Angeles Lakers in their first preseason matchup of the 2025-2026 campaign.
Booker’s Full Press Conference:
The Phoenix Suns’ Media Day:
