During a recent segment of First Take, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN made comments regarding Devin Booker and the New York Knicks:Additionally, I’ve heard through the grapevine, though I cannot confirm its veracity, that Devin Booker may have an interest in playing for New York. That’s what’s circulating. Now, whether this holds any truth, Booker himself may refute it. I haven’t had a direct conversation with him. I’m simply relaying what I’ve heard. The chatter within NBA circles suggests that Booker might have a desire to don the Knicks’ jersey. Thus, if you’re Phoenix, you’ve got a scenario where you have at least two, perhaps three, high-earning players, totaling approximately $150 million, who may not be fully committed to remaining with the team.”
However, Smith’s statement has since been contradicted by multiple sources, and former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, who played for the Memphis Grizzlies, had some strong opinions on the matter.
“Whoever fed Stephen A. this information about a potential trade… just let it slide… We’re entering the second round,” Arenas remarked. “We don’t need our players in the locker room worrying about being traded for someone who just got eliminated from the playoffs.”
Despite the Phoenix Suns experiencing another disappointing early playoff exit, this time suffering a sweep in the first round, it appears the organization isn’t inclined to part ways with either Booker or Kevin Durant. Despite potential interest from other teams in acquiring these star players during the upcoming offseason, Phoenix doesn’t appear open to trading either of them.