The upcoming NBA season will feature a new-look Phoenix Suns team. They’ve moved on from the Big 3 of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. This offseason, the front office accepted that the star trio doesn’t work, which is why they traded Durant to the Houston Rockets. As for Beal, the team got the star to agree to a contract buyout, leading him to join the Los Angeles Clippers.
These moves left Booker as the only star player on the team. There are questions about how they’d become a playoff team, given that the four-time All-Star doesn’t have another elite player with him. But that allows other role players to shine in their role.
One player who’s expected to have a productive 2025-26 season is Grayson Allen. In his first year playing in Phoenix, he became a fan favorite with his elite 3-point shooting. Allen averaged a career-best 13.5 points and led the league in 3-point efficiency, making 46.1% of his attempts.
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes listed players who will be the risers and fallers for each team. For the Suns, he expects Allen to be the riser, given that he’ll have more time and opportunities on the floor. Hughes said that the former Duke guard could replicate what he did in his first year in Phoenix — except his high-efficiency 3-point shooting.
“A repeat of 2023-24’s 46.1 percent three-point hit rate is unlikely, mostly because that’s a historically high number for even moderate-volume snipers. But Allen should see his standing in the Suns’ hierarchy improve, along with his production,” Hughes wrote.
Allen has shot above 40% from deep in his career four times. He could likely shoot that well again.
Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker is still considered an elite guard
The Athletic’s Zach Harper made a list of the top NBA shooting guards. According to him, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is the top two-guard in the league. Close behind him is Booker, who’s still an elite player.
“There are plenty of instances where you can say Edwards, Booker and Mitchell are essentially lead guards, and it wouldn’t be wrong. I just think of them more as shooting guards who are toeing the fine line between those two guard positions,” the writer said.
Last season, Booker wasn’t an All-Star. However, he still averaged 25.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists through 75 games. Without a co-star for the 2025-26 season, the offense will center around him and secure a spot in the All-Star game.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
