The Phoenix Suns quietly extended a training camp invite to point guard Kennedy Chandler in a move that has put even more pressure on Jalen Green to figure out how to work alongside Devin Booker.
Suns liking score first guard in Chandler should terrify Green
Up to this point, Green was safe in knowing that, despite the franchise adding guards who, in theory, work better alongside Booker, none could score at close to the level that he can. That might also be true of Chandler, but his training camp invite does signal a change in approach from the Suns.
Backup Collin Gillespie is a floor general in the traditional sense. He's not great defensively, although he tries to hold his own, while his key strengths are teeing up Booker and getting all of his teammates involved. He can run an offense like nobody else on this roster.
Then there is Jordan Goodwin, who works well with just about everybody in Phoenix. He is a longer and more defensive-minded guard with a style of play that Head Coach Jordan Ott loves, and the same is true of Jamaree Bouyea. So good are they at guarding bigger scorers that they have played together to good effect and managed to keep opponents quiet.
Pat Spencer is a wild card, but the opportunity to sign him on a two-way was too good to ignore. He will push for a bigger role before long, and his tenacity and willingness to do a little bit of everything are the reasons the Suns signed him.
Chandler is a completely different type of guard in that he is short (roughly six feet) and an explosive scorer. In 11 games with the Utah Jazz last season, he averaged 15 points and had a 31-point outburst in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Detractors can rightly point to the fact that Chandler won't be doing any defending, but it's not like Green excels in this area either. If anything, the Suns ran out of steam down the stretch once he was healthy and back in the starting lineup.
Chandler addition clearest sign yet Green could be moved
It is crazy to suggest a training camp invite could be the reason Green is traded sooner rather than later, but it is hard to ignore what the front office is doing here.
Whether Chandler is signed to the standard group or not, the Suns are suddenly open to the idea of having an undersized guard on their roster when they would not budge on this stance one year ago. Remember Jared Butler? He was excellent during preseason, but Phoenix opted to keep Goodwin instead.
Adding players with this profile makes the need for Green redundant, while they are also much cheaper. This is the clearest signal yet that Green simply has to make it work with Booker from day one of training camp, or else.
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