Grading a fresh trade proposal that has the Rockets' acquiring the Suns' (other) star

The Houston Rockets made a blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant this summer. A fresh trade proposal from Bleacher Report has them continuing to plunder the Suns by acquiring Devin Booker.

This would be an interesting decision. For some, it would be foolish. The Suns just turned in a mediocre season with a Durant/Booker duo leading the charge. Why would the Rockets try to replicate their failure?

Fair - but don't judge a trade proposal until you see the details. Without further ado...

Rockets acquire Devin Booker in new proposal

Here are the details.

This is a reasonable proposal. It uses the same logic that most Rockets/Suns proposals use. The Rockets can get a star at a discount by virtue of owning Phoenix's picks. Booker should fetch more than two unprotected firsts, a player coming off of a poor rookie season, VanVleet, and filler on the open market.

So, this is a fine deal for the Rockets. From a pure market value perspective, it's solid. That doesn't necessarily mean they should take it.

Frankly, they shouldn't have any interest in Booker.

Rockets should avoid Devin Booker trade

The logic in acquiring the 37-year-old Durant was sound. It was partly about the low cost, but his age also played a role. Durant's time in the NBA is running up. The Rockets landed him so that they could elevate towards title contention without mortaging their entire future.

If they make this deal, the calculus changes.

Booker's deal is enormous. Alperen Sengun has already been compensated. Can the Rockets pay Amen Thompson with that duo and Durant on the roster? Will they have anything left if they can make that work?

Moreover, and to reiterate: Booker's deal is enormous. It's likely to be problematic for the Suns. Why should the Rockets bail them out? Phoenix has backed itself into a difficult position. Isn't it more prudent to leave them there and reap the rewards of the incoming high draft picks?

The Rockets shouldn't be giving up on Sheppard so easily, either. He's not untouchable, but Houston shouldn't look to move him unless they're getting a bona fide superstar in return. That takes us to the main point:

Booker is not that guy.

In 2024-25, Booker averaged 25.6 points and 7.1 assists per game with a Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of 0.4 and a 58.9 True Shooting % (TS%). He's a very good player, but that's not the statistical profile of a franchise-altering talent.

If Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the market, we'll talk. In the meantime, the Rockets' Durant + depth and youth model feels like a more sustainable long-term strategy than quickly reuniting him with Booker. They'd be smart to maintain their cap flexibility and preserve their assets instead of making this deal:

Their summer blockbuster is already complete.

Grade: C+