With the NBA still months away from officially returning, right now the only competitive basketball of note taking place is EuroBasket, and there is zero Phoenix Suns interest there. It was thought that AfroBasket might actually have seen some involvement from The Valley in the form of rookie Khaman Maluach, but that was recently dispelled too.
That EuroBasket competition recently got underway, with Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic a main talking point as a result of the ridicuous shape he had gotten himself into over the offseason. The Los Angeles Lakers looking an even more dangerous proposition if the 26-year-old can stay healthy and maintain his new frame in 2025-26.
Doncic injury at EuroBasket sign Suns must stay ready out West.
Doncic was forced off the court in his country's game against Latvia on Saturday, after suffering a knee injury that was later ruled out to be a contusion. A massive stroke of luck for the player and the Lakers, as we have seen much worse outcomes from these situations before. He might play for the Lakers, but here in Phoenix we don't want to wish injury on any other player out there.
BREAKING: Luka Doncic has AVOIDED a serious knee injury after his Slovenian teammate crashed into his leg in a EuroBasket exhibition game vs. Latvia.
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) August 16, 2025
Luka had 26 PTS, 5 AST, & 5 REB in the FIRST HALF before the injury happened.
Get well soon, Luka! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ATwElWyNlt
But what this development does prove is that - if the Suns are serious with this being a re-tool around Devin Booker and not a full on rebuild - they need to take advantage of situations like this as they come up next season. Right now they don't even figure to be a play-in team, with many believing more than 31.5 wins is going to be beyond this group.
If the Suns can keep their roster healthy - and it certainly got younger over the summer - then they might be a tougher out than many experts predict, especially if injuries impact other teams. The expectation is that Booker will have an All-Star level season, while Grayson Allen was added to this group a few years back for a very clear reason.
It is too much to expect injuries to decimate opponents to the point the Suns have a clear path through the Western Conference - but with their first round pick for 2026 a complicate situation that is going to result in them not getting it where they would like it to be - there is no incentive to tank. Instead winning games under first year head coach Jordan Ott looks like the better move.
So while some other stars are out playing for their countries, the Suns can get a training camp in together and catch everybody off guard when the season begins. These are the small things over the course of a season that can break right for a group - as we have already seen with the release of their schedule - to propel them to greater heights.