The Phoenix Suns will begin the 2026-27 season starting Devin Booker and Jalen Green in the backcourt, but they will soon find out that is a luxury they can no longer afford. This team needs to hit the ground running.
Too much riding on Suns' season to give duo time to gel
Green might be under pressure as soon as training camp opens to swat away all those coming for his starting berth, but the reality is that he was supposedly the best player they got back in the Kevin Durant trade, and they're not going to bring him off the bench after only 32 regular season games played last season.
But they need to make this brave call because the Suns don't have any time to waste in trying to accumulate regular season wins, and failure to improve upon last season's 45 victories and surprise playoff appearance might make blowing this whole thing up the only remaining option.
It would be great to give the Booker/Green backcourt 40 games to figure out if they can make this work and design an offense around their elite skills, but the time for that has come and gone. A hamstring injury Green suffered hampered his first campaign in The Valley, giving others a chance to step up and show their value.
The organization also has a collection of point guards who all fit better next to Booker, and cycling them into the starting lineup across the first handful of games in place of Green would be a better way to use this time.
Collin Gillespie looks like the best choice, although Jordan Goodwin also deserves recognition because he is a brilliant defender who would make Booker's life easier on that end of the court. Jamaree Bouyea is still on this roster until further notice and mirrors some of the better traits of Goodwin thanks to his own long frame.
Pat Spencer is the wild card on a two-way deal, and although none of these four guards mentioned are close to the scorer Green is, they are solid players.
Green coming off bench is the brave call that won't be made
The ideal solution here would be the front office waving the white flag on Green as a starter and bringing him off the bench. It would be a terrible outcome for the former second overall pick, whose next contract is now on the horizon.
The Suns can spin this another way and lean into the fact that Green has quietly become the worst player they got back in the Durant trade. Dillon Brooks was clearly the best, while the upside of Khaman Maluach should give fans reason to be excited about his own future.
One year ago, when expectations were on the floor and Booker wasn't about to turn 30 years old, the Suns had plenty of time to see if this backcourt could work. Time is now up, and they need to be brave when deciding what comes next.
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