Devin Booker predicts that the Suns will make a lot of moves this offseason

It’s safe to say that the Phoenix Suns got an absolute steal when they were able to snag Devin Booker with the 13th pick of the 2015 NBA Draft.

It’s also safe to say that his first three seasons in the league have been wildly impressive on an individual level, yet terribly disappointing from a team perspective. In his rookie season, the Suns went 23-59. Last year, they went 24-58. Heading into Friday, they’re 20-59. In other words, they're trending in the wrong direction.

Booker’s career arc has luckily been trending the other way. After averaging 13.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists as a rookie and then 22.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in his second season, he’s putting up 24.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists this season, all of which are career-highs.

Factoring in the fact that he’s just 21 years old and lit up the Boston Celtics for 70 points in a game last season, the future is bright for the young star. But, the same simply cannot be said for the Suns organization that has inexplicably brought in aging veterans well past their prime like Tyson Chandler and Jared Dudley and has played them substantial minutes alongside a mix of young, unproven first-round picks and a slew of mid-season free agent signings.

“It’s hard man, honestly,” Booker recently told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “I was talking about it with [teammate] Tyson [Chandler]. It was probably the most disappointing [season] for me. My first year, rookie year, I’m just trying to get a chance to play. Just trying to be out on the court so I got that opportunity, and I took advantage of it, came back the second year, and I was trying to solidify that I wasn’t just a backup plan, starting minutes, doing well. So I started my second year. We didn’t play that well, teamwise. … And then this year, I thought it was going to be the year where we make that jump. And with so many things going on here, we fell super short. So, being a competitor, being a winner most of my whole life, it’s really hard.”

However, it appears as though Booker sees a light at the end of the tunnel.

“It’s only up now,” Booker said. “This summer is a big summer for us. You hear our GM [general manager Ryan McDonough] come out and say he’s going to be super aggressive. We have young talent, we have a lot of picks, with a lot of money too. So I think there’s definitely going to be a lot of moves made this summer.”

Interestingly, the Arizona Republic reported that Booker will have a say in what players the team brings in during free agency and the draft and will also be able to offer his input in who should become the next head coach. He explained that his approach will be simple in that regard.

“You need a couple guys in the locker room that can fill it out, build chemistry,” Booker said. “Sometimes it’s not the best players always win. Sometimes, it’s how a team relates with each other. Like Houston, I know those guys are actually all close off the court before. They became teammates, and I think that directly translates to the court. … So, for me, I’m not going to be making any decisions, yes or no. But just give ’em my little input, what I think will work and who we need.”

Although the Suns will almost definitely try to sign Booker to a maximum extension worth $156 million over five years in the summer, there’s no guarantee that he decides to commit to the organization for the long-term, even with that massive deal on the table.