{"id":167828,"date":"2025-09-25T09:44:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T09:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/167828\/"},"modified":"2025-09-25T09:44:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T09:44:09","slug":"entering-11th-season-devin-bookers-presence-gives-suns-much-needed-stability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/167828\/","title":{"rendered":"Entering 11th season, Devin Booker’s presence gives Suns much-needed stability"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

Devin Booker: ‘I have unfinished business here … I know how much (a championship) would mean to this city and this organization.’<\/p>\n

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PHOENIX (AP) \u2014 There\u2019s a lot of new people surrounding the Phoenix Suns these days, from first-year coach Jordan Ott to first-year general manager Brian Gregory to new players like Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams and Khaman Maluach.<\/p>\n

One thing hasn\u2019t changed \u2014 Devin Booker plans on being a force for this franchise.<\/p>\n

The four-time All-Star is entering his 11th season with the Suns, growing from a 19-year-old rookie to one of the most respected and accomplished shooting guards in the league. Still in his prime, the 29-year-old is the unquestioned leader of a team that\u2019s trying to bounce back from a string of tough seasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe leadership aspect is going to be more important than ever this year \u2014 just realizing our roster, the age of our roster and the experiences I\u2019ve had and what I\u2019ve seen,\u201d Booker said. \u201cI\u2019m going to do what I can and I\u2019m always going to use my voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Booker \u2014 who signed a $145 million, two-year extension during the offseason that will keep him in Phoenix through 2030 \u2014 is already the leading scorer in franchise history, passing greats like Walter Davis, Kevin Johnson, Shawn Marion, Amar\u2019e Stoudemire and Steve Nash.<\/p>\n

New faces in the Valley \u2600\ufe0f<\/p>\n

The 2025-26 @Suns<\/a> are here! pic.twitter.com\/wj6tHUMaGu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NBA (@NBA) September 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Now he\u2019s working to lead the franchise back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2021. That\u2019s an ambitious goal considering where the Suns are at in their current rebuild, but he\u2019s optimistic that the team\u2019s young core will gel quickly.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s seen it happen before.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough we didn\u2019t get it done in \u201821, I was able to see it go from the bottom almost to the top,\u201d Booker said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t easy, but just understanding that it\u2019s an everyday grind and it starts right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later, he added: \u201cI have unfinished business here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Phoenix remade its roster after last year\u2019s 36-46 debacle, firing coach Mike Budenholzer and shipping 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. The Suns also bought out the contract of three-time All-Star Bradley Beal, who is with the Clippers.<\/p>\n

Now Booker is surrounded by a much younger core that includes Green, Brooks and the 19-year-old Maluach, a 7-foot-2 center who was drafted with the No. 10 overall selection. The three players were all part of the return from the Rockets in the Durant trade.<\/p>\n

Green is a promising young guard who averaged 20.1 points per game over four seasons in Houston after being drafted No. 2 overall in 2021. Brooks is known as a defensive stopper and an emotional leader, but also averaged 14 points per game for the Rockets last season while shooting nearly 40% from 3-point range.<\/p>\n

The Suns dealt for 7-foot center Mark Williams, a 23-year-old who was productive when healthy during his first three seasons with the Charlotte Hornets. Phoenix is gambling that he can stay on the floor and grow into one of the game\u2019s better big men.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a handful of holdovers who played quite a bit last season, including Grayson Allen, Royce O\u2019Neale, Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro.<\/p>\n

The Suns are now led by the 40-year-old Ott, who comes to the Suns after spending more than a decade rising up the ranks of the NBA coaching world. He\u2019s spent time with the Hawks, Nets, Lakers and most recently the Cavaliers, who had the best record in the league\u2019s Eastern Conference last season.<\/p>\n

Ott said Booker\u2019s deep commitment to the franchise is a luxury that most teams don\u2019t have.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow lucky am I?\u201d Ott said. \u201cFirst year head coach, to have a superstar, a guy that\u2019s proven in this league, a guy that\u2019s done it at every single level in the NBA, the Olympics. I think whatever\u2019s happened in the past has happened in the past.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is his team.\u201d<\/p>\n