The Phoenix Suns are now 1-2 in the regular season, and cracks are beginning to appear in the team’s preparation. Star guard Devin Booker only managed to score three points in their last game versus the Thunder. Now, reports suggest internal issues.
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NBA insider Chris Haynes suggested that there’s unrest inside the Suns’ locker room over one key issue. “What I found out is there’s some growing frustration in that locker room for the simple fact that, that roster does not have a point guard that can organize that offense,” Haynes said on NBA TV.
“You look at how they’re starting in the backcourt, they’re starting Devin Booker, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks over there. And so you have a situation where you don’t have a true traditional point guard that can get everybody looks and get everything organized,” Haynes further explained. The frustration he describes is about roster fit rather than an interpersonal conflict.
Amidst the issues, former Milwaukee Bucks player Brandon Jennings suggested via X that “D book needs to get outta PHX.” He added that he likes “Detroit for him” instead.
The issue isn’t just Booker’s low production. He’s a highly capable multi-time All-Star player. That being said, he’s better suited to being a shooting guard. Therefore, when he has to focus on making plays and guiding the offense, things fall flat, and the scoreboard reflects the team’s overall lack of organization.
The Suns traded away Chris Paul and shifted many of his responsibilities onto Booker, who has not been able to deliver on them fully. Furthermore, Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale were traded, which took out some of the team’s top 3-point shooting talent.
In return, they got Miles Bridges, who performs as a power forward. For some reason, the Phoenix Suns did not go for a traditional point guard. Perhaps they hoped that Devin Booker would be able to shoulder the responsibility.
His performance so far has been mixed. He scored a staggering 43 points against the Warriors in a win but only three in a loss to the Thunder. In fact, in the season opener against the Trail Blazers, Booker didn’t attempt a single 3-pointer and finished the game with 23 points.
Clearly, he can score points. But is that good enough? General manager Brian Gregory has previously said that other players need to help Booker set up plays to add versatility to the roster.
“In terms of the actual initiation of the offense, Book doesn’t do a ton of that,” he said on the Burns & Gambo Show. “I think the key is to have the right balance of Jalen Green, Devin Booker, Collin Gillespie. We have wings, and big wings, and forwards that can now initiate the offense.”
While the approach has worked on and off, it isn’t showing the Suns the results they may have expected. The team appears to not have enough chemistry to pull together versatile plays in the absence of a traditional point guard.
The solution to this is essentially securing a point guard via trade. Will the team actually try to fix the problem? Currently, there’s no way to know. “That’s something that I don’t know that the Suns are looking to address as of right now,” Haynes said. “The hope is that they can kind of play that role by committee, but as of right now, it’s not looking like it.”
The Suns are set to go up against Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors once again on November 2, 2026. Perhaps the game will give them enough insight to make the right call regarding the roster.