The Phoenix Suns have doubled down on Devin Booker by signing him to a record breaking deal.

Booker has been with the Suns since they picked him 13th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft and is now going to be under contract with them until the ‘29-’30 season. The four-time NBA All-Star just agreed to a two-year, $145 million extension which is now the highest annual extension salary in league history.

This deal is the Suns’ latest vote of confidence for Booker whom they signed to a supermax extension back in 2022. The 28-year-old has blossomed into one of the best shooting guards in the NBA during his time with the Suns and was arguably their best player when they made it all the way to the NBA Finals back in 2021. Booker proved during that run that he has what it takes to be the best player on a contender, but Phoenix’s front office has fumbled its moves since.

The team notably brought in Kevin Durant in February 2023 then Bradley Beal a few months later in June to play alongside Booker. The thought of putting three ball-dominant perimeter scorers felt like a bad idea at the time and now, two years later, this experiment can officially be proclaimed a bust. 

After their runner-up finish in 2021, the Suns bowed out of the playoffs in the second round for two years, followed by a first round defeat in 2024, before missing the postseason in its entirety in this past campaign. Durant was just traded to the Houston Rockets and it should just be a matter of time before Beal is bought out.

Ordinarily, this would be the moment to tear everything down, but the Suns used up their future draft assets to acquire Durant and Beal, so there is no incentive for them to tank even for just a year. The 28-year-old Booker’s presence alone though raises the team’s floor enough to keep them within striking distance of the play-in–and, unfortunately, likely nothing more. 

Last season, his scoring dipped to 25.6 points on 46.1 percent shooting while sharing the floor with Durant and Beal, yet he found other ways to impact the game, posting a career-high 7.1 assists. Surrounded by the right pieces, Booker can carry a contender and now, it’s up to the Suns to build one while their superstar is under contract. 

Phoenix’s clearest path forward is to find a true interior partner for Booker—a skilled center in the mold of Domantas Sabonis or Bam Adebayo whose presence would accentuate Booker’s strengths. Both might become available eventually, but in the meantime, these scenarios are nothing more than wishful thinking.

With Booker now in the prime years of his career, how these next few years play out for him will be crucial for his legacy. Though the ink on his extension is still fresh, the clock is already ticking for Booker and the Suns to make themselves relevant once again. 

Phoenix cannot afford another misstep and each move that they make from now on must be focused on maximizing rather than stifling Booker. Otherwise, Booker’s record breaking contract may wind up being remembered in history for all the wrong reasons.