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Earl Watson Says He Blocked 2017 Suns Deal To Trade Devin Booker For Jimmy Butler

Watson recounts threatening to resign after a 2 a.m. meeting with owner Robert Sarver.

Overview

  • Watson detailed the episode on a Bucks Plus Audio podcast released December 16, with outlets amplifying his account on December 19–20.
  • He says Sarver summoned him to discuss a Booker-for-Butler swap with then-GM Ryan McDonough involved.
  • Watson claims he told team leadership he would quit immediately if Booker was traded, and the deal did not occur.
  • Booker remained in Phoenix and later became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with multiple All-Star and All-NBA honors.
  • Coverage frames this as Watson’s recollection without independent documentation, while Butler has since changed teams and now plays for the Warriors.