Devin Booker embraces a positionless offensive shift as the Suns prioritize continuity and recalibrated aggression, blending veteran playmaking with fresh faces to spark a pursuit for a higher ceiling.
The 2026-27 Phoenix Suns are just three days away from opening up preseason play as of Friday.
The Suns are in the midst of the opening week of training camp, but remain in alignment despite the roster tweaks that have been made over the summer.
Follow three major takeaways from the first handful of days of training camp below.
Suns' Positionless Arrangement Already Paying Off
Twelfth-year guard Devin Booker is entering the season already confident in the work that the team is putting in, seemingly unfazed with the narratives that the team is facing. (Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic).
“The game is positionless now. I even talked about what the addition of Miles (Bridges), another person that can make plays. I think everybody on the court needs to be able to have those abilities. Frees up everybody. Makes it a free-flow offense. You learn with experience. You learn by being thrown in the fire, being trusted with those responsibilities and we’ve been seeing it in camp already with them. It’s been good.”
Booker is vocally pleased with the manner in which the puzzle pieces are fitting together at the moment. Outside of the five-time All-Star rests Miles Bridges, Collin Gillespie, Jalen Green, and projected starting Center Oso Ighodaro as teammates that hold consistent playmaking chops.
The Kentucky alumni isn't exactly wrong either. Franchises such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics have won recent titles despite not employing a "traditional" point guard. While the lack of three-point marksmanship in the starting lineup is questionable at the moment, the general makeup of the arrangement is very intriguing.
Continuity is Major Point for Optimism
Beyond the malleable appearance of the roster at the surface is a great deal of continuity that franchises typically don't have the luxury of taking advantage of.
The Suns are returning 12 standard contract players from a year ago, as well as the entire coaching staff.
While integrating Bridges, shooting guard Luke Kennard, and rookie Koa Peat will be a task, this team will have a much simpler time in doing so in comparison to rival franchises.
New Year, Recalibrated Core Players
Booker is leading the charge of recalibration, even going as far as to state that a major goal of his is to shoot the ball to a higher degree in the season ahead.
The recalibration extends to several other players, including second-year former lottery pick Khaman Maluach. The Duke product is receiving praise from numerous teammates in relation to his work ethic, consistency, and for showing signs of tangible improvement.
Lastly, forward Dillon Brooks is coming back after an eventful offseason that saw the second-year Sun re-up with the franchise for three more seasons. Brooks is still pushing to be the player that he's always been, but refocusing during a trip to China will hopefully result in less technical fouls in the campaign ahead.
