There were plenty of takeaways from the Phoenix Suns' media day earlier this week, but one player who got an unexpected shout out was Grayson Allen. General Manager Brian Gregory going so far as to believe that the 29-year-old could have a "breakout season", words not usually spoken of veterans in this league.
There remains a chance that Allen could also be the mysterious "Villain Jr." that Dillon Brooks has spoken about, while he is also somehow the longest tenured player in The Valley after Devin Booker. Last season was a disappointing one for the player - to the point he is still likely available at a reasonable price via trade - but that could be about to change.
Grayson Allen has chance to be Suns' fifth starter.
Sounds crazy right? But consider that as of this moment, the final spot in the starting group remains up for grabs. You would think it is Ryan Dunn's to lose, the returning sophomore bringing much more defensively than Allen can thanks to his longer frame and willingness to shut down all manner of opponents.
Grayson Allen when he said "someone you wouldn't expect" https://t.co/wDttRNSycd pic.twitter.com/94Ob1ug0EH
— Mike Vigil (@protectedpick) September 26, 2025
But Dunn isn't a consistent enough offensive threat yet, even after showing an unexpected shooting touch from beyond the arc to begin life in the league. That cooled off massively as the season progressed, but there is reason to believe he can be a 36 percent shooter from 3-point range in year two.
You would think that would be curtains for Allen's chances of starting then, but you'd be wrong. Last season he gave up his spot so Tyus Jones could be point guard from the jump, but he is now gone. With one of Booker or Jalen Green assuming that role - not to mention far more menacing presences in the paint in Khaman Maluach and Mark Williams - suddenly Allen the starter makes more sense.
Yes the Suns would be giving up a lot of size to certain opponents, but Allen has never shied away from the physical side of the game. Looking at this another way and with Booker and Green being the offensive focal points - and Brooks and whichever center starts having a more defensive approach - Allen is the ideal middle ground of the two.
A wing who can stretch the floor, and who is a little friskier defensively than he ever gets credit for. It makes more sense to start Dunn so that he can get the reps while the Suns aren't very good, although a bigger problem then is Allen and Royce O'Neale coming off the bench together with similar skill sets. This seemed crazy before, but there might be something here.