PHOENIX – In an era defined by player movement and fleeting loyalties, Devin Booker stands as a remarkable anomaly. As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the Phoenix Suns guard is poised to remain exactly where he’s been for the past 11 seasons – a testament to endurance, patience and a quality increasingly rare in professional sports: loyalty.
Booker’s sustained tenure with the Suns is particularly striking given the recent upheaval within the organization. The team traded away Kevin Durant last summer and waived Bradley Beal, moves that many predicted would signal a full-scale rebuild. Yet, despite the dramatic roster changes, Booker has remained a constant, a stabilizing force in a league where players frequently change uniforms.
“Dillon is a hard worker, man. He’s easily someone to rally behind. He’s a fierce competitor, and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Booker said recently, reflecting on his partnership with forward Dillon Brooks (h/t Shane Young, Suns.com). “I’d rather [him] be too competitive than it be the other way. It’s been a pleasure playing with him, we’ve enjoyed it. Still have a lot of work to do, but our chemistry has grown. Dillon, he is who he is and we love him for it. He’s a hell of a hooper, which a lot of people don’t talk about. I enjoy being his teammate.”
Brooks, who is currently averaging a career-high 21.2 points per game, has brought a new level of intensity to the Suns. While his competitive fire has occasionally led to technical fouls – he was recently suspended after receiving his 16th of the season, becoming the first player since DeMarcus Cousins to reach that mark before the All-Star break – his impact on the team’s culture has been undeniable.
Suns coach Jordan Ott has consistently praised both Booker and Brooks. “He’s been tremendous. We love his energy. We love his competitive spirit. It’s lifted our entire group. We feed off of it,” Ott said. “He works extremely hard off the court and on game days. He brings it every single night. … We’ve talked about it. He’s got to get to the edge and not go over. It’s with the whole group. It’s with myself. How we handle the emotions of these competitive games. Every night in the West, it is a battle. We’re glad to be in these arenas and in these fights. We’ll take all the energy and emotion he has with it, we just don’t want to go over the line.”
Booker’s scoring prowess, currently averaging 26.9 points per game, combined with Brooks’ energy and Ott’s leadership, has propelled the Suns to a surprising 32-23 record as of February 14, 2026. This success comes after many predicted a dismal season following the departures of Durant and Beal.
The emergence of a healthy Jalen Green further bolsters the Suns’ prospects. Green recently returned to the lineup after a lengthy absence and is expected to eventually join the starting five, adding playmaking and downhill attacking to the team’s arsenal. Coach Ott has indicated that Green’s integration into the starting lineup will be a key factor in the team’s continued success.
Booker’s longevity with the Suns places him in a select group of players who have remained with a single franchise for at least 10 seasons. Others include Stephen Curry and Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), with Jaylen Brown nearing qualification with the Boston Celtics. In a league characterized by constant movement, Booker’s commitment to Phoenix is a refreshing and increasingly rare sight.
