Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker exited his most recent game against the Los Angeles Lakers with a right groin strain.
Book saw just 10 minutes of action before getting hurt, returning to the sideline in street clothes to watch the remainder of the Suns win. The injury comes at a bad time for Phoenix, but ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania reported some positive news Wednesday.
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker has sustained a right groin strain and will be re-evaluated in one week, sources tell ESPN. Best case for Booker and the Suns, who are a surprise 13-9 and in the West playoff picture so far this season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 3, 2025
According to Charania, Booker will be re-evaluated in one week, which the insider called the “best case” for him and the Suns.
Now, it’s unclear if that means one week from today or one week from the injury he sustained on Monday, but it’s encouraging news regardless.
The Suns are already without Jalen Green, who’s missed all but five quarters of hoops this season due to a hamstring injury. He’s likely to be re-evaluated next week as well.
The Suns are entering a brutal stretch of schedule over their next 11 games, including eight of their next 10 being played on the road. They play against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets on Friday, then Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday before another showdown with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday — all road games.
There’s no reason for Phoenix to rush Booker back before that slate of games concludes.
They return home Thursday for the second game of a back-to-back against the Golden State Warriors before hitting the road to face Golden State again next Saturday. If Booker isn’t back by then, he’ll have some extra days to rest as the Suns’ next game from there will be Tuesday, Dec. 23 against the same Lakers he suffered the injury against.
It seems the best-case scenario will have Booker back on the court before Christmas.
Devin Booker’s stats mired by shooting slump before groin injury
Book experienced a blistering start to the 2025-26 season, but he cooled off rather significantly before the injury. He shot under 40% from the field in five of six games prior to the W against LeBron James and the Lakers.
Overall, Booker is averaging 25.0 points, 6.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 45.7% from the floor and 31.5% from three-point range. That three-point shooting percentage is a career low.
Those are still All-Star-caliber numbers from the man leading the Suns to a winning record, defying all expectations set for Phoenix prior to the season. If he misses extended time with injury or has a setback in his recovery, though, there’s a decent chance he will miss out on the All-Star Game for the second straight year.
Of course, Booker has never played all 82 games in a season. His career high of 78 games played was set during his sophomore campaign at age 20. Suns fans have come to expect that Booker, at some point in the season, will miss time, and at least based on Shams’ reporting, it seems this particular case won’t be an extended absence for Book.
It’s great news for a team beating expectations and putting itself in the playoff picture in the Western Conference, but the Suns will need to focus on getting and staying healthy if they hope to stay there.