NBA Rumors: Suns Could Get Devin Booker & Kelly Oubre Jr. For LaVine, Markkanen, Young & No. 4 Pick
Although recent reports have suggested that Devin Booker has no plans to leave the Phoenix Suns, that hasn’t stopped trade rumors from swirling around the All-Star shooting guard. In a recent list of proposed deals involving Booker, Bleacher Report recommended a move that would send him and starting small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for three players and this year’s No. 4 overall draft pick.
As explained on Tuesday, the Bulls’ new management could “energize” fans by trading for Booker and Oubre in a deal that would send three key rotation players — Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, and Thaddeus Young — and the fourth overall selection to Phoenix. The outlet added that the two erstwhile Suns stars could team up with Otto Porter Jr., Wendell Carter Jr., and Coby White to help Chicago end its playoff drought after years as one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference.
“Booker would be the most talented player to put on a Bulls uniform since [2010-11] MVP Derrick Rose and has a young core to grow around him. New head coach Billy Donovan did wonders with his trio of guards in Oklahoma City last year, seeing a huge jump in play from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and an All-Star year from Chris Paul.”
According to Bleacher Report, the Suns might find the hypothetical deal too tempting to pass up, considering how LaVine was just two spots below Booker on the NBA’s list of top scorers for the 2019-20 campaign. Per Basketball-Reference, the 25-year-old averaged 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, and shot 45 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range.
As for the other components of the proposed offer, Markkanen (14.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists) was described as a player who could step up as Phoenix’s “answer” at power forward. The outlet noted that the Suns have several options at No. 4 if the trade idea becomes a reality, as international stars Deni Avdija and Killian Hayes and Auburn Tigers wingman Isaac Okoro are all expected to be available at that point in the draft.
However, like Porter and Young, it was suggested that whoever they select at fourth overall might have to come off the bench, with LaVine and Markkanen joining Deandre Ayton, Ricky Rubio, and Mikal Bridges in the starting lineup in the event the transaction pushes forward.
In addition to the Bulls, Bleacher Report recommended a few other destinations for Booker in its article, including the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Miami Heat.
