The Phoenix Suns aren't going to be very good next season - most predicting they'll struggle to win more than 30 games - but that doesn't mean that every player is going to have a down year. Expectations are sky high for franchise cornerstone Devin Booker, now that he's no longer sharing the spotlight with Kevin Durant and can do whatever he wants offensively.
Then there is Jalen Green, the 23-year-old with explosive scoring potential who might just have needed a change of scenery to kickstart his career. His first playoff experience last season was far from perfect, but you don't hang 38 points on the Golden State Warriors in that environment without having something about you.
Dillon Brooks could earn first All-Star berth thanks to NBA change.
Canadian Dillon Brooks isn't getting as much love from outside of Phoenix right now - but you only need to take one look at Houston Rocket's fans reaction to losing him - to realize how important he is going to be. He'll be their best perimeter defender and quarterback the team from that spot, which will be invaluable for a rookie such as center Khaman Maluach.
The idea of the 29-year-old making an All-Star team has always appeared unlikely, but the NBA might just have done him a massive favor in that regard. That's because in 2026 the format for the midseason exhibition is going to change, and as part of that there will be a Team World roster that Brooks would qualify for.
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game format is likely to feature a round-robin tournament consisting three eight-player squads of two USA teams and one World team, sources tell ESPN. NBA and players union presented format to the Competition Committee on Wednesday and response was positive. pic.twitter.com/xuR46pVYyu
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 3, 2025
Fans in the USA don't want to hear this, but that world team is as competitive as it has ever been. Brooks has no chance next to the likes of Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and even fellow countryman Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But there are two things working in his favor here, although one isn't nice to think about.
The first is simple and unfortunate, and it is injuries to other guys. How many times have we seen Doncic miss some games with a tight calf, or worse yet what happened to Victor Wembanyama directly after the All-Star game last season. He hasn't been seen on a competitive basketball court since. So Brooks could get in by virtue of being available, which can be half the battle.
But if the Suns exceed expectations at all, then that combined with the fact he's a villain opponents love to hate could give him the talent and the narrative to see him squeak in. Think about it, who would take the game more seriously than Brooks? It would be like the NBA Finals to him, and that would include if he ended up on new teammate Booker.
Should he face Durant it would go viral immediately, and there's an actual path to this happening. Making the Suns even a bit better defensively (they're going to be anyway), shooting 40 percent from deep (39.7 percent last season) and locking in on opponent's best scorers (a job he relishes) would all greatly help his chances. Not as much of a long shot as you think.