Devin Booker was one pick away from being a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder back in 2015. A sixth man for John Calipari's Kentucky Wildcats, Booker was selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Suns — just one spot before the Oklahoma City Thunder, who went with Cameron Payne as the 14th pick.
Forward Kevin Durant was one of the biggest proponents for the organization to draft the Michigander. Had he been drafted by the Thunder, who knows how last season would have panned out with a talent like that on the roster.
“We called Devin Booker,” Durant told The Hoop Central. “We wanted him in OKC.”
Booker had been part of Durant's basketball camps as a high schooler — a direct link that had the lanky All-Star forward very familiar with the sharp-shooting up-and-comer.
A soon-to-be-junior in high school, Booker was one of the most impressive guards recruited by the University of Michigan, along with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke — ultimately choosing to sign with Kentucky in 2014.
In a world of what-ifs, a combination of Booker, Durant, and Russell Westbrook might have been one of the most explosive of the generation, but ultimately might have met the same end as James Harden, as there are only so many shots available to take in a basketball game.
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