Is Devin Booker Too Comfortable in Phoenix? Stephen A. Smith Thinks So
The Phoenix Suns pieced together a 45–37 record in the 2025–26 season, finishing eighth in the Western Conference before surviving the Play-In to reach the postseason.
But whatever momentum they built evaporated quickly, as they were swept 4–0 in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder, extending a troubling trend of early exits.
Devin Booker remained productive, including a 24-point outing in Game 4, but never fully seized control against Oklahoma City's defense as Phoenix struggled to generate consistent offense.
Despite the underwhelming finish, owner Mat Ishbia recently publicly backed Booker as the franchise cornerstone, saying he would “ride into a fire” with Booker and standing firm in his belief that he will win a championship in Phoenix.
However, while the owner has publicly doubled down on Booker as untouchable, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith just lit a match on “First Take.” His critique isn't about talent. It's about urgency.
Is Booker too … comfortable?
"If you’re an owner, here’s what you want. You want a cat who can ball, and who is a pillar of the community who absolutely adores and loves being within your organization and a part of the fabric in the face of that city. He has that in Devin Booker," Smith said.
"My issue is that Devin Booker has been in the league now for 11 years. He went to an NBA Finals in 2021. He averaged 28 points in the NBA Finals. Wasn’t your damn fault you lost to Milwaukee … But the point that I’m making is Devin Booker appears so comfortable and so happy in Phoenix."
"I would never insult and disrespect him by acting like he doesn’t care about winning. I know he does. But win, lose, or draw, the sun’s going to shine in Arizona. In order to win, it can’t be like that. It’s got to kill you, man. It’s got to pain you," Smith added.
"My issue with Devin Booker is, has there ever been the slightest indication that I want out because I’m trying to win a chip before my career is over? Has that ever happened? I haven’t seen that."
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After starring at Kentucky under John Calipari, Booker has spent the last decade evolving into one of the best pure scorers in the NBA.
Since being drafted 13th overall by the Suns in 2015, Booker averaged 24.6 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game across his 11-year career, along with five All-Star selections and two All-NBA honors.
He is already the Suns' all-time leading scorer (18,120) and famously dropped 70 points in a single game in 2017, becoming just the sixth player in league history to do so.
His peak team success came in 2021, when he led Phoenix to the NBA Finals, averaging 28.2 points in the series before falling to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
Since that run, however, the Suns have struggled to regain that level.
They exited in the second round in 2022 and 2023 and have since cycled through roster changes and early playoff exits without returning to the Finals
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The "Comfort Trap" in Today's NBA
The "complacency" label quietly followed a handful of stars, and it usually shows up when loyalty outlasts contention.
Bradley Beal famously stayed in Washington on a supermax deal despite never making it past the second round of the playoffs over his 11 years with the franchise.
Similarly, Karl-Anthony Towns, ironically a former college teammate of Booker’s, has faced recurring criticism about lacking a "killer instinct" and went through years of first-round exits in Minnesota before finally getting traded to the New York Knicks, almost a decade into his NBA career.
Stars who stay loyal without escalating pressure on their organizations often get labeled as passive competitors.
On the flip side, you have several examples of elite players who have forced the issue.
LeBron James has reshaped multiple franchises (and won a title everywhere he’s gone). Kevin Durant has also never hesitated to chase better championship conditions.
Even Antetokounmpo, a player many believed might retire in Milwaukee, has been linked to playing for a more immediate title contender.
Should Phoenix Even Consider Moving Booker?
On paper, trading Booker sounds absurd. He's 29, still in his prime, still producing at an All-NBA level, and more importantly, represents the things you value in a franchise player. You don't casually move somebody like that unless the return resets your entire trajectory.
But if Phoenix believes its current core has already peaked, then standing still may be the bigger risk.
A hypothetical Booker deal would command a king's ransom. The franchise could easily demand a young All-Star, multiple first-round picks, and depth pieces to build roster flexibility, with teams like Houston, Miami, or New York hypothetically able to build compelling packages.
Still, that's a drastic step. And one Ishbia has already publicly dismissed.
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 11:28 AM.