NBA Trade Rumors: Suns May Consider Pairing Devin Booker With Russell Westbrook, Per ‘Complex’

Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker is considered one of the fastest rising superstars in the league. Unfortunately, despite his explosive performance almost every night, the Suns remain in the bottom half of the Western Conference. It has been suggested that they should highly prioritize surrounding Booker with more star power after the NBA lifts its trade moratorium, in order to improve their chances of contending in the West in the 2020-21 season.

One of the dream trade targets for the Suns this fall is All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook of the Houston Rockets. The Rockets have yet to make him officially available on the trading block, but if they decide to move him, the Suns might try to bring him to Phoenix. According to Danny Cunningham of Complex, the Suns could acquire Westbrook by sending a package that includes Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre Jr., Frank Kaminsky, and Mikal Bridges to Houston.

If the deal becomes a reality, Cunningham believes it will help both teams fill their needs and improve their rosters. The proposed scenario would allow the Rockets to get rid of Westbrook’s massive salary while acquiring three quality role players that could support James Harden and keep them competitive in the loaded Western Conference.

“Kelly Oubre Jr. is a fun young player and could be an interesting add for a contender near the trade deadline should Houston choose to go that route. Ricky Rubio instantly went into Phoenix and made the Suns a better team, and while his best days might be behind him, he should be able to do that in just about any situation. Mikal Bridges is the one piece here for Houston that’s worth hanging on to for the long haul. He’s put up encouraging numbers in his first two years in Phoenix in a limited role, but could be pretty good if given the opportunity.”

Meanwhile, trading all those players might be a tough decision for the Suns but it’s a move that might be good enough to help keep Booker happy in Phoenix. As Cunningham noted, pairing Booker with an MVP-caliber point guard like Westbrook would help them raise their ceiling and make them a more dangerous team on the offensive end.

Westbrook would still have to make adjustments with his game to make himself fit in with the Suns, but after playing one season as Harden’s sidekick, he might have learned a thing or two about excelling alongside ball-dominant stars like Booker.