Devin Booker has had a wild time in his NBA career. As a member of the Phoenix Suns, he has experienced the full spectrum of the player’s life – from promising rookie to franchise cornerstone, from the lows of a struggling team to the highs of a finalist. But his career could have turned out very differently.
As a huge Kobe Bryant fan, many are familiar with Booker’s draft placement. Much like his idol, Booker was selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2015 NBA Draft. But that wasn’t the destination he envisioned after graduating from Kentucky. Although he was a widely recognized lottery pick, his exact potential was uncertain in an elite draft class that featured some of today’s best players. Yet for all his wishful thinking, it could have been a little higher.
Before the draft, Booker had high hopes of being selected 10th overall by the Miami Heat. A year removed from their fourth consecutive NBA Finals appearance, the loss of LeBron James had hit them hard. As a result, the Heat went from perennial contenders to lottery picks. But with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade still on the roster, Miami had the tools to rebuild quickly.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: News on Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat
Considering the kind of player Booker has become, it’s not hard to imagine that Miami could have been back in the race much sooner, even before the Jimmy Butler era.
Draft Day – What if
On his former teammate D’Angelo Russell’s podcast, Booker recounted how he envisioned wearing a Heat jersey. “That was my hope. Miami was my best training. I think Pat Riley even did an interview where he said they were looking for a player like Klay Thompson, someone to improve their shooting percentage. I was just shooting 40% in college, so I thought, ‘Oh yeah, that’s it.’ I was watching sports coverage down there in the arena.”
Looking back at the career that could have been
Booker is a star in the Valley and is now a regular in the All-Star game, where he has already appeared four times. With career averages of 24.3 points per game, 4 rebounds and 5 assists, it’s safe to say Phoenix’s investment has paid off.
Last season, one of his best, he averaged 27.1 points per game and shot nearly 50% from the field.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: News on Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat
His career with the Suns has taken many twists and turns so far. From the difficulties of being a last-place team to the highs of being a perennial contender, Booker has experienced it all. And yet, during this time, the Miami Heat have reached several conference finals and two NBA finals.
One can only imagine what Devin Booker could have potentially accomplished with those Heat teams.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news and insider information? Click here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Þjórsárdalur And on facebook..
Want to read the latest NFL storylines and analysis? Check out our partner NFL Analysis Network.
