The Phoenix Suns might have avoided a disastrous Devin Booker injury update with news that he is going to be out at least a week with a groin strain, but they would still much rather have him out there.
The team's "next man up" mentality has worked brilliantly to this point, but nobdy on this roster comes close to replicating Booker's output each night.
Booker likely to miss key meeting with Oklahoma City Thunder.
Assuming Booker is out for a week at least as has been reported, and the Suns have already shown they won't rush players back with how cautious they have been with Grayson Allen, then the 29-year-old won't suit up for the Emirates NBA Cup quarter-final meeting away to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Disappointing, because the Thunder are an incredible 21-1 and the Suns ran them close in their previous meeting, losing 123-119 after playing them about as well as anybody has this season.
Without Booker they can forget about causing an upset, and the fact it is coming in a cup game makes this even worse.
"He knew. He knows his body better than anyone. Super self aware. He kind of felt it right away. Hopefully just a minor strain. Then to get it confirmed, I think that's a relief to all of us."
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 4, 2025
Suns coach Jordan Ott on Devin Booker's right groin strain that'll be re-evaluated in… pic.twitter.com/5kYpKH6D6p
You can think what you like about this cup competition, but it was created with teams like the Suns in mind. They're fun and frisky, but we all know they're not winning a championship anytime soon.
They're also not going to tank either, as a result of the short-sighted trades that owner Mat Ishbia is thankfully moving away from. So the cup gives them something to play for, and getting to the quarter-final given the expectations at the start of this season is a nice accomplishment.
It is just a shame that will come to an end at the hands of a buzz saw in the Thunder, but having Booker available would have given them a better chance to win. Had they somehow managed that, they would have been off to Las Vegas for the Final Four.
Of all the teams in the league that the NBA would want there, the Suns have to be near the top of that list. Geographically it would mean some fans would travel, compared to when the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks met in the cup final last year for example, with empty seats and tourists galore.
In the grand scheme of things this is still a win because Booker's injury is not a long-term one, but this is a missed opportunity for everybody. A chance for a free hit at the Thunder squandered, as well as maybe heading to Vegas.
For the NBA, they have missed out on an ideal franchise heading to the desert too. Then again, maybe Booker needed the break after how he has had to carry the load so far this season.