After the Suns have been swept within the first spherical by the Timberwolves, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith dropped the bombshell that Booker is concerned about being traded to New York.
“Booker needs to be in New York,” Smith mentioned on Monday’s First Take. “That’s what I’m being informed. Now, he would possibly deny it, I haven’t spoken to him. I’m simply telling you the scuttlebutt within the NBA circles is that the brother wanna be in New York. So if you happen to’re Phoenix, you’ve bought at the least two folks—in all probability three—who’re all getting paid about $150 million mixed who don’t wanna be there.”
In fact, some within the NBA group suppose that Smith generally talks simply to listen to the sound of his personal voice, however The Ringer’s Wosny Lambre has since backed up his claims.
“For those who suppose Stephen A is just not tapped in, you’re incorrect,” Lambre wrote on X. This ain’t out of skinny air. And I’ve heard related issues.
Nevertheless, PHNX Sports activities reporter Gerald Bourguet has poured chilly water on Smith’s claims as he says, “a supply from Devin Booker’s camp who’s intimately acquainted with the scenario informed PHNX Sports activities that these rumors are unequivocally false.”
Bourguet went on to elucidate how far again New York’s curiosity in Booker goes.
“In accordance with that supply, the Knicks have been concerned about Booker courting again to Leon Rose’s instatement as group president again in 2020,” Bourguet mentioned. “Rose, a former CAA participant agent previous to being employed by New York, as soon as served as Booker’s illustration, and different Knicks personnel with connections to the 27-year-old Suns star just lately put out feelers about his potential curiosity in coming to New York.”
Suns legend turned NBA analyst Charles Barkley additionally thinks the rumor has no legs.
“Stephen A. thinks all people needs to go to New York,” Barkley mentioned on Arizona Sports activities 98.7 FM on Tuesday morning. “Previous few years, it’s been Donovan Mitchell. Final time … KD was a free agent it was New York. Stephen A is a pal of mine, and I really like Stephen A, however he needs everybody in New York. He’s not going to die comfortable till the Knicks win a championship. … You may skip that (rumor).”
One factor is for certain, it’s going to be an attention-grabbing summer season.
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