The Phoenix Suns enter the 2026-27 season with Devin Booker still serving as the franchise cornerstone after signing a two-year, $145 million extension that made him the NBA’s highest annual-paid player at the time of the deal. As Phoenix reshapes its roster around a younger core, the team’s offensive structure has become a major talking point heading into training camp.
Jalen Green’s arrival has added another layer to that discussion. After spending the previous four seasons as the Houston Rockets‘ primary scoring option, Green is expected to play a significant role in Phoenix’s offense. That has led to debate over whether the Suns should adjust Booker’s responsibilities to maximize Green’s scoring ability while maintaining Booker’s overall impact on winning.
The conversation comes as Booker continues to post elite production. During the 2025-26 season, he averaged 26.1 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.9 rebounds across 64 games while shooting 45.6% from the field, extending his career scoring average to 24.6 points per game over 737 regular-season appearances.
Phoenix Suns Debate Whether Devin Booker Should Let Jalen Green Become Primary Scorer
The biggest discussion surrounding Phoenix this offseason has centered on how the Suns should balance Booker and Green’s roles.
During a PHNX Suns stream, Gil questioned whether there could be “a world in which Jalen Green is the guy who’s averaging 24 plus, maybe around that 25 range.” He also asked whether there should be a “passing of the torch where Jalen is the guy who is maybe leading the team in scoring but Booker’s still getting go-to buckets down the stretch.”
The idea drew a strong response from Ben Garcia of Locked On Suns.
“What if Jalen Green turns into a 25-point per game player and ascends past Devin Booker, and Devin Booker turns into the Big Shot Maker. That is stupid in my opinion because Jalen Green has never shot over 42% in a season,” Garcia said.
He added, “Asking Devin Booker to take a step back, like that’s crazy. No one would ever tell a four or five-time All-Star to take a back seat to a guy who has never been an All-Star, never really contributed to winning.”
The broader discussion is not necessarily about reducing Booker’s role. Instead, it focuses on whether Phoenix can benefit by changing how Booker operates within the offense while allowing Green to handle more of the scoring load.
Green spent four seasons as Houston’s leading scorer before joining Phoenix. During the 2025-26 campaign, however, his production fell below his previous career averages, creating questions about how he will fit into the Suns’ offensive system moving forward.
Devin Booker Continues to Strengthen His Offensive Resume With Phoenix Suns
GettyPhoenix Suns guard Devin Booker
While debate continues over his future role, Booker remains one of the NBA’s most productive guards.
During the 2025-26 season, he posted career-best efficiency numbers by recording the highest effective field-goal percentage (eFG%) of his career. That mark surpassed the best single-season eFG% Stephen Curry has recorded, an unexpected achievement considering Curry’s reputation as the NBA’s greatest shooter.
The milestone reflects Booker’s continued offensive development as Phoenix has increasingly relied on him as both a scorer and playmaker.
Booker has also adapted to different responsibilities throughout his career. At Kentucky, he accepted a reserve role under John Calipari before becoming a lottery pick. More recently, he handled increased playmaking duties for the Suns following roster changes that required him to spend more time at point guard.
Phoenix has continued to build around Booker despite outside criticism of his long-term contract. Following his extension, Bleacher Report ranked his deal among the NBA’s least favorable contracts, with Dan Favale writing that Booker is “probably better suited to lifting up an inferior supporting cast” while noting his increased reliance on mid-range shooting.
Even with those evaluations, the Suns remain committed to Booker as the face of the franchise. As Phoenix prepares for a new season under a reshaped roster, the key question may not be whether Booker scores the most points each night, but whether adjusting his offensive role allows both him and Green to maximize the team’s overall success.
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