Suns Maximizing Devin Booker Comes Down to Key Tweak

The Phoenix Suns are moving into the thick of the 2026 offseason around the premise that the franchise is still building around 11-year vet Devin Booker, who is officially turning a new page in his career with a jersey number change. 

Booker has entrenched himself as an undeniable symbol in Phoenix over the last decade-plus, although the last three seasons have also been met with the most struggle for him from an individual level since prior to a breakout 2019-20 season.

A massive driving force behind those said struggles very likely rest in several factors - particularly how much the organization has asked of him and the frequent turnover of the coaching staff. 

How can Jordan Ott and his multi-faceted staff get the most out of the franchise player in a season which the Suns anticipate taking a step forward in?

Move Booker Back to Natural Position

This isn't a knock on Booker whatsoever, as the 6'5" guard excels in multiple arenas of being a playmaker, including as a skip passer and finding quality looks from three-point range off of kick-outs. The simple truth is that he has demonstrated that he is at his most effective offensively when he is attacking as a scorer first - once he gets into a rhythm, everything else comes together in droves. 

How can Ott manage this - especially if the Suns don't acquire a "traditional" point guard this offseason? 

The answer isn't clear-cut in any imagination, but Phoenix's collective playmaking approach and principles that prioritized creating space for three-point shooters, which resulted in the team cracking the top 10 in three-point efficiency across the league. These ideals can absolutely be applied to the 2026-27 season to a greater degree, as Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and Grayson Allen are just three examples of players currently on the roster that are able to shake defenders in one manner or another.

The simple truth here is that Booker is much more likely to return to what he was in 2023 - if the coaching staff returns him to his roots - creating elbow jumpers off of pin-downs, maximizing his off-ball skills, and allowing him to be an attacker first.

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Kevin Hicks is a contributing writer to SunsRoundtable. He can be reached on X @khicks_21.