It happened, folks. My job finally let me write about Jordan Goodwin, potentially my favorite player in the NBA. In his fifth season, and second stint with the Phoenix Suns, Goodwin is playing perhaps the best basketball of his career. He landed back in the Valley after being waived by the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason, despite playing well for them in the second half of the 2024-25 season.
The irony, of course, is that Goodwin is exactly the kind of player the Lakers could use right now. He's providing high-level defense in the backcourt, stellar rebounding for his size, and constant energy when he's on the court for the Suns, re-establishing himself as a fan favorite on a team full of fan favorites.
Their loss!
Yes, I am aware the Suns parted with Goodwin last year in a trade, so they have technically also "let him go," but... It's called learning from your mistakes. We could all take a page out of the Suns' book.
Jordan Goodwin quickly made the Lakers regret letting him go
As of December 1st, the Suns have the No. 14-ranked defense in the league, a number that Goodwin is hugely responsible for helping be above league-average.
Meanwhile, the Lakers have the No. 17-ranked defense in the league, a number that might be league-average if Goodwin were still in the mix.
When teams are in that middle ground, having (or not having) a player as impactful as Goodwin can swing their fortunes one way or the other.
Goodwin makes an impact without big stats
If you've never watched Jordan Goodwin play a basketball game and have only looked at his career counting stats, you might not think he's a productive basketball player. He has an abysmal career true shooting percentage of 50.1, is a 6-foot-3 guard who doesn't score, and isn't overly athletic.
If you've only watched Goodwin play and have never looked at his stats, you probably think he's about a $15 million per year player. He does so many helpful things for whatever team he's on; he fights through screens, cuts off drives to the hoop, makes the extra pass, rebounds at a high level, scraps for loose balls.
He's been hitting 3-pointers at a passable rate for the Suns this year too, and if he can do that regularly, it's a bonus. Even if he can't, he earns his minutes every night.
At the end of the season, Goodwin will be an unrestricted free agent, and the sad truth is that his unimpressive counting stats will cause him some trouble in finding another guaranteed NBA contract. But his skill set will always be necessary so the Suns shouldn't overthink it. Keep this guy around as long as possible!