Devin Booker And Deandre Ayton Are Already Feuding In Phoenix

Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton are not getting along. After the Phoenix Suns had their second consecutive awful showing Thursday night, the team’s two young stars reportedly got into it with each other in the locker room.

The following was in a report from The Arizona Republic:

"(After the game) Phoenix’s top two players, Booker and Ayton, exchanged words after the 10-minute cooling off period as members of the media entered the visiting locker room for the tail end of that conversation. These two have had words before on the court, with Booker correcting Ayton on what to do on certain plays. Both have agreed to hold players accountable, but this felt different. “I’m an emotional guy, too,” Ayton said. “I start to feel stuff. When I don’t sense it and the energy is not there, that’s when you start to hear my mouth. I don’t care who it is. Nineteen-year vet or 15 years, it don’t matter. We all have a job to do and I have to step it up a little more, too.”"

The fact that the franchise’s two young stars are already having issues just 25 games into their partnership is a problem and does not bode well for the future.

Booker is a high-volume scorer who needs the ball in his hands, while Ayton is going to need touches if he hopes to develop. Already Ayton’s presence has hindered Booker, as his scoring and 3-point shooting numbers are down from last year, as is his PER.

Meanwhile, the Suns are loaded with young, high-ceiling guys yet can’t put together any wins. Head coach Igor Kokoskov has apparently already lost the locker room and his players clearly don’t respect him:

This is a mess and something needs to change or a franchise with a promising future could see all of that promise flushed down the drain.