Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green is heading into the biggest season of his career so far, and a true point guard in the form of Collin Gillespie looking like the perfect backcourt partner for Devin Booker is making his situation even harder. Green and Booker's skill sets overlap, while the duo of Gillespie and Booker lets both do what they do best. Gillespie tees others up, while Booker is the scorer.
Numbers suggest Gillespie should take Green's starting berth
The former second overall pick suffered an injury-hit first campaign in The Valley thanks to a lingering hamstring issue, and when he was active, his fit next to Booker looked as clunky as Bradley Beal's did before him.
Booker is at his best when he has a true point guard alongside him, taking the playmaking pressure off his shoulders and setting up both himself and those around him. Collin Gillespie is that player, and last season the Suns had a better net rating with him on the court next to Booker (+8.7) than when Green was out there with him (+2.8).
Jalen Green is not a good fit alongside Booker in the backcourt. The Suns had a net rating of (+8.7) with a backcourt of Gillespie and Booker, compared to just (+2.8) with Booker and Green. A trade may be best for both parties. The Nets could use him as a better version of Cam… pic.twitter.com/dwmnbLdP9w
— Kalshi Hoops (@KalshiHoops) August 27, 2026
With Miles Bridges also having been added this offseason, Gillespie again looks like the ideal, pass-first floor general who will keep Booker, Bridges, and Dillon Brooks (who averaged a career-high 20.2 points last season) happy.
There is no room for Green in that scenario, which is why coming off the bench looks like the best solution for the Suns to continue winning games. Only it would be a disaster in the broader sense, as Green was the best player Phoenix received for Kevin Durant, and his future earning power would also take a hit.
Not that this is Gillespie's fault. He has turned himself from a fun two-way player into one of the best backup guards in the league, receiving a four-year, $48 million deal to return to The Valley.
He has limitations as a starter, particularly defensively in the playoffs, but Green isn't a lockdown defender himself. Gillespie has become too good to ignore, and Green looks like he will pay for this development.
Suns should continue to showcase Green with eye to trading him
Coach Jordan Ott won't bring Green off the bench immediately, and if he has a nice run of games to begin the season, the franchise must cash in right away.
The return for his services would be underwhelming, certainly for a former second overall pick who can pile up points in a hurry. But the fit is not going to work here. A late-career Jamal Crawford kind of role may ultimately be the best use of his skills anyway.
The Suns would love to have Green be their sixth man; he would be even more suited to the role than Grayson Allen once was. Gillespie himself will likely occupy that spot to begin with. But they can't afford that luxury with so many other guys either having been paid or looking for an extension in the future.
Feels like the writing is on the wall with this one.
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