Stephen A. Smith is calling for Devin Booker to leave the Phoenix Suns and play for the Detroit Pistons.
The ESPN analyst is doing this just one day after the Suns lost their first-round playoff series to the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who finished this regular season with the best record in the NBA.
"Who needs a split more? Is it Devin Booker from the Suns, or the Suns from Devin Booker?" Smith was asked during ESPN's First Take episode on Tuesday, April 28.
Booker is the franchise's leading scorer (18,120 points scored).
"I think it's Devin Booker from the Suns," Smith replied. "I love what Ishbia and the Phoenix Suns are doing, and I applaud them. And I don't blame them one bit for wanting to hold on to a staple like Devin Booker, but it's time that we look at Devin Booker differently."
Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) defends Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during Game 4 of their playoff series at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on April 27, 2026.Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Game 4 of NBA playoffs
1 / 8See Phoenix Suns take on Oklahoma City Thunder in NBA Playoffs Game 4Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) defends Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during Game 4 of their playoff series at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on April 27, 2026.Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Game 4 of NBA playoffs
Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) defends Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during Game 4 of their playoff series at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on April 27, 2026.Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Game 4 of NBA playoffs
Smith then went into extensive detail on Booker's accomplishments in the NBA. He called him "one of the elite scorers in this game," mentioned his five All-Star selections in the past seven seasons, mentioned his All-NBA selections and more. As soon as he was done, however, Smith called Booker out.
"My brother, when are you going to start winning?" Smith asked. "And I'm not throwing any shade, I'm just saying that — his gifts, his greatness as a player — at some point in time, we demand so much of everybody else. What about him? I mean, he gets no shade thrown at his direction."
Smith himself has thrown so much shade at Booker that he once famously said Booker's trade value is that of Kyle Kuzma (who has never been an All-Star, let alone an All-NBA selection,) "a multitude of players and even a pick." Booker led the Suns to a Western Conference Finals series win the next season, beating Kuzma and the Lakers (the team Smith wanted him traded to) in the first round of the playoffs.
"We all hear what a great guy he is," Smith continued. "We all know what a great talent he is, and we certainly have heard about his golf game. His golf game, and some of his business ventures. He is very, very, very comfortable in Phoenix, Arizona. He is beloved out there. I don't blame him. I don't blame them."
It is not clear how these things mean that Booker needs to leave Phoenix.
"But at some point in time, I want to see a Devin Booker that's literally clamoring and starving to win," Smith said. "Like it hurts and it's not good, and it's an awful sickening feeling that you can see on his face that losing does to him. I need to see that. Not a player that seems content balling out, being elite, but his team losing every year, he home in April and it ain't no big deal."
Per Smith, Booker not breaking and not feeling sorry for himself means he is content with "his team losing every year."
"I need to see the dude where, 'Yo man, I want a damn championship,'" Smith said. "I need to see that draped all over his persona. And I don't see that right now, and that's why I think he's the one that needs to be looking to leave and find himself in a winning situation. I said earlier; the Detroit Pistons, my god. Could they use Devin Booker."
To be clear, it remains extremely unlikely that Suns owner Mat Ishbia would even take a call involving Booker. Perhaps Smith thinks Kuzma plays for Detroit now.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Stephen A. Smith begs Devin Booker to leave Suns for Detroit