When Grayson Allen was traded by the Phoenix Suns earlier this offseason, he left as the second-longest-tenured player on the roster behind Devin Booker. The player who has (technically) stepped in to replace him, Jordan Goodwin, shows how high the roster turnover has been around Devin Booker over the last few years.
Jordan Goodwin takes second spot on a technicality
If you go back to the 2023-24 season, the only other player on that roster who will suit up on the opening night of this coming season is Jordan Goodwin. That's right, the defensive-minded point guard who was thrown in as part of the Bradley Beal trade has outlasted everybody from Kevin Durant to Tyus Jones.
Case closed, right? Not quite, as you might remember, Goodwin was traded by the Suns to the Memphis Grizzlies during that season. He had a mini breakout there, which led to a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. When he was eventually cut in Hollywood, he came back to The Valley.
The Suns didn't make the same mistake again, signing him to a new contract this offseason. If we say the 27-year-old is ineligible because he left and came back, then who is the second-longest continually serving player? There are actually three, which doesn't fit with the continuity narrative the front office has tried to spin.
By far the most successful of this trio is Collin Gillespie, who, in 2024-25, began to break through on a two-way contract. In that same campaign, the Suns had a pair of draft picks, Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, who tried to make a name for themselves on a roster that was geared toward trying to win a championship.
It's crazy that these three players are Booker's most seasoned teammates, and Coach Jordan Ott being the first leading man in four seasons to return for a second campaign only adds to the previous upheaval in The Valley.
Devin Booker needs a real co-star more than ever
This exercise highlights just how important Allen was to the success of the Suns last season, and the need for Booker to have a real co-star he can play for years with.
Dillon Brooks is that guy, but it remains to be seen if he will be given the time to build something real with Booker. He's certainly going to outlast Dunn, although both Gillespie and Ighodaro are real rotation players on cheap contracts who have sticking power themselves.
Simply put, this is a crazy stat and one that has to change in the coming years if the Suns want to contend once more.
Add us as a preferred source on Google