The Houston Rockets are reportedly done chasing Devin Booker, and the Detroit Pistons should take note.
The Rockets have been attached to just about every available star, including Booker, as Houston has the right combination of contacts, young players and draft assets to land just about anyone.
But according to The Athletic (Subscription), the Rockets have tapped out on Booker:
“The Rockets have previously held serious interest in the Suns’ Devin Booker, but team sources said that is no longer the case. Not only do team officials still have faith in Jalen Green, who is five years younger than Booker and $66 million cheaper over the next three seasons, but also Booker’s struggles last season shifted the thinking on this front.”
I’ve written about Booker as an option in the past, and it does make some sense, as the Pistons need a second star and Booker is from Michigan. I also wrote about the potential cost, which would be steep.
There is no reason to gut their roster to get Booker when they might already have an internal option.
Jaden Ivey is a safer bet than Devin Booker at this point for the Detroit Pistons
Jaden Ivey is not as good as Devin Booker and he may never be, but he’s only just extension eligible this summer, so even after a big raise, won’t be making near Booker’s $53, 57 and 61 million over the next three seasons after this one.
While Ivey may not put up Booker’s numbers, he’s not that far off, especially when you consider he’ll be making a third of what Booker makes. Booker averaged around eight more points per game than Ivey, who is five years younger and will be making around $20 million per season on his new deal, less than half of what Booker is making now.
Booker didn’t have a great season shooting the ball, and is already showing signs of decline, so the Rockets are right to stay away, and the Pistons should too for all of the same reasons.
Ivey may not have the ceiling of Jalen Green as a scorer, but he’ll give you most of what Booker does on a deal that would allow the Pistons to invest resources elsewhere.
Detroit needs another wing and a power forward far more than they need another shoot-first guard.
The new CBA is forcing teams to be more patient in their approach to team building, as trading for the wrong contract is far more punitive than the past and far more detrimental to financial flexibility.
So, I do think we’ll see teams like the Rockets and Pistons stay away from the big trades that gut their roster for one guy, unless that guy is Giannis and even then they will think twice.