The Rockets are targeting the right Suns star in trade talks

If you hadn't heard, the Houston Rockets might make a deal with the Phoenix Suns.

Also: Donald Trump is the president, water is wet, and the Earth's tectonic plates shifted to create what we now know as "continents".

Everyone's talking about the linkages between these two organizations. The Rockets own the Suns' upcoming 10th overall pick. They own their selections in 2027 and 2029. The Suns are imploding, and the Rockets hold the keys to their future.

Lately, most of the speculation revolves around Kevin Durant. Some Rockets fans think that's a mistake. They'd prefer the Rockets target the younger Devin Booker. That makes some intuitive sense:

But it's the wrong way to think.

Rockets have eyes for the right Suns star

It's not complicated. Booker is younger, which is why he'd be more coveted around the league:

Which is why he'd be considerably more expensive.

As it stands, the rumors suggest that the Rockets could trade Jalen Green, Cam Whitmore, whoever it takes to make the money work, and that 10th overall pick for Durant. If they were to acquire Booker, you'd have to add the rest of the Suns' picks and at least one of their more productive young players to the fold, if not more.

Meanwhile, Booker isn't even worth his (perceived) market value.

Booker won't revolutionize the Rockets

This isn't a Devin Booker hit piece. He's very good. He'd be the lead guard the Rockets are missing. They'd likely win a playoff series next year with Booker in the fold.

Could they win two?

Here's the reality: Booker is overrated in some circles. He wasn't particularly productive this year. Let's take a look at his 2024-25 season.

Booker averaged 25.6 points and 7.1 assists per game. Those are impressive surface-level numbers. A deeper dive indicates that Booker wasn't highly impactful.

His 33.2% shooting from long range was underwhelming. It wasn't the first season when Booker shot a subpar percentage from deep. As a career 35.4% three-point shooter, Booker doesn't have the three-point gravity that Houston is looking for to revolutionize their offense. Perhaps that's part of why his 0.4 Box Plus/Minus (BPM) in 2024-25 was so weak.

By contrast, Durant shot a characteristic 43.0% from deep in 2024-25. His BPM was 3.2. He was the Suns' best player last year, and he'd be the biggest short-term upgrade Houston can make in a deal with Phoenix.

What does he do for their long-term outlook?

Rockets can justify short-term rental

Not much! Fans will resist this logic, but that's part of what makes Durant the better target.

Booker would be an all-in move. The Rockets would be gambling that a core of him, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson could eventually win a championship. They're not making the same move by acquiring Durant.

A Durant deal should leave the Rockets with most of their future draft capital in hand. If they haven't won a title in a couple of years when Durant has regressed, they should have enough ammunition to retool around Sengun, Thompson, and whoever is left over. A discounted Durant deal is the right move for the Rockets:

If they're making a trade with the Suns at all.