Loyalty is a fickle thing in the NBA, and Suns owner Mat Ishbia knows this as well as anyone. In a little over three years on the job, he’s had to watch his team lose valuable rotation players, ranging from Mikal Bridges and Chris Paul to Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
In the case of franchise face Devin Booker, however, he’s not going anywhere, and Ishbia has gone out of his way to ensure everyone knows it. So when a potential Booker trade came up in a recent Q&A wth fans, the Suns owner took it as another opportunity to express his undying loyalty to the star shooting guard.
Pistons fan:“Can you trade Devin Booker to the Pistons? Do it for the love, you’re from here, c’mon.”
Mat Ishbia: “When I’m dead. Devin Booker will never be a Detroit Piston. I am from here [Michigan], and I don’t care about the Pistons at all.”
Mat Ishbia was asked when he can trade Devin Booker to the Detroit Pistons:
“When I’m dead. Devin Booker will never be a Detroit Piston. I am from here [Michigan]… I don’t care about the Pistons at all.”
(Via, @DevinBookerMuse) pic.twitter.com/WGbhLw9i5M
— CantGuardBook (@CGBBURNER) August 27, 2026
Despite owning the Suns and living full-time in Phoenix, Ishbia is actually from Birmingham, a small suburb in Michigan. That’s why the Michigan crowd felt so comfortable asking Ishbia for his biggest star, and there’s no question the Pistons would be much better off for it.
Even with Cade Cunningham, Detroit finds itself in a precarious situation amid stalled negotiations with Jalen Duren and looming extension talks with Ausar Thompson. Of course, that’s not to mention the loss of Tobias Harris, who played a crucial role in their East-leading performance last season.
With Booker on the squad, Detroit becomes much more dangerous with not one but two offensive superstars capable of delivering in the most critical moments. Unfortunately for the Pistons, Ishbia has made it clear that he will never give up on Booker, essentially linking him to the Suns for the rest of his career.
Since he bought the team, Devin Booker has been the only constant, and Ishbia believes that it’s through him that they can find a realistic path to contention. Drafted 13th overall in 2015, Booker emerged as a star right away, turning the Suns from an afterthought to true contenders in the West, averaging 24.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 45.6% over the last 11 seasons.
At 29, Booker is no longer a young player, but the best may be yet to come as he enters his physical and athletic prime. As it stands, the Suns are not built to keep up with the likes of the Thunder and Spurs, but they may not be far off. With a few more roster changes and good fortune in the health department, Ishbia may yet realize his vision of building a proper team around Booker and bringing the Larry O’Brien to Phoenix for the first time in franchise history.
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