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Pacific Notes: Brooks, M. Williams, Hachimura, Sabonis

December 2nd, 2025 at 10:21pm CST by Rory Maher

Suns forward Dillon Brooks relished beating the Lakers in Los Angeles on Monday as well as the opportunity to trash talk LeBron James, Tim MacMahon writes for ESPN.com.

As MacMahon notes, Brooks infamously got under James’ skin during the first round of the 2023 playoffs with Memphis, only to see the strategy backfire — he struggled for the rest of the series while James dominated, and the Grizzlies were eliminated in six games. Ever the antagonist, Brooks poured in 33 points on Monday — one off his season-high — and “relentlessly” mocked James and the crowd.

“I love playing in this arena,” Brooks said. “They show me a lot of love in here, and I reciprocate it back. I’m a competitor, man. I don’t really like the smiling and the giggling and all that, so just letting them know that I’m here. And I’m still rising.”

Phoenix cruised to an easy victory on Monday despite missing Devin Booker (right groin injury) for the majority of the contest. Brooks was the driving force behind the result.

“Sometimes, I’m trying to tell him to chill out, but I think he just blacks out,” said point guard Collin Gillespie, who scored a career-high 28 points on Monday and whom Brooks has nicknamed “Villain Jr.” due to his tenacity. “That’s Dillon Brooks. It fuels us. Obviously, we love when he gets going. He’s the tone-setter for us. Consistent energy, brings it every night. He’s fearless. Doesn’t back down from anybody, and he will go toe-to-toe with anybody.”

We have more from the Pacific:

Now a member of the Suns, center Mark Williams admitted he’d have a “little extra” motivation facing the Lakers on Monday after L.A. traded for him in February — only to rescind the deal over to what the team said was a failed physical (story via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). Williams said he was never told exactly why the Lakers nixed the trade with Charlotte. “Not in real detail,” said Williams, who is averaging 12.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals through 18 games (25.4 minutes per contest). “I’m kind of past it now. Just moved on from it.” The ex-Duke center will be a restricted free agent in 2026.
Entering Monday, Lakers forward Rui Hachimura had scored in double figures in 14 of his 18 appearances. The 27-year-old had his worst outing of the season in Monday’s loss, going scoreless — he missed his lone shot attempt — and pulling down one rebound in 23 minutes. “I don’t remember when I had the ball this whole game,” Hachimura said, per Daniel Starkand of Lakers Nation (Twitter link). “I mean, that’s happened. Playing with these guys, I signed up for that. I understand it… But with this, I think the whole team, everyone knows and understands, that’s not how we’re gonna win. Those games that we’ve been winning, we’ve been passing to each other, we’ve been trusting each other and playing for each other to win those games. So it’s a tough one for me, but it is what it is. It’s one of those games where I gotta just [forget it] and move on to the next game.”
Kings center Domantas Sabonis is likely at least a couple weeks away — if not more — from returning from a partially torn meniscus, but his injured left knee is progressing well and he’s traveling with the team on its three-game road trip, which will conclude next Tuesday at Indiana, as Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento relays (via Twitter). The Kings clarified that Sabonis is not yet practicing, which was expected given his initial return timeline. The Lithuanian big man has popped up in trade rumors this fall amid Sacramento’s poor start to the season.

Injury Notes: Sasser, LeBron, Smart, M. Williams, Dunn, Butler

November 30th, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Rory Maher

Third-year guard Marcus Sasser, who has yet to play in 2025/26 after sustaining a right hip impingement during the preseason, has been assigned to the G League to practice with the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons announced today (Twitter link via Hunter Patterson of The Athletic).

Just over three weeks ago, Detroit said Sasser would be reevaluated in about four weeks, so that exam should come in the near future. Given that he’s getting some practice reps in with the Cruise, Sasser’s season debut may not be far off either.

After a strong rookie year, the 25-year-old point guard was in and out of the rotation out last season. He wound up appearing in 57 games and averaging 6.6 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 14.2 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .463/.382/.843.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

After initially being listed as questionable, Lakers star LeBron James was subsequently ruled out of Sunday’s matchup vs. New Orleans because of left foot injury management, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. As McMenamin notes, Sunday is the front end of a back-to-back — Los Angeles faces Phoenix on Monday. Marcus Smart will miss his second straight game Sunday due to back spasms, per the NBA’s official injury report. The veteran guard was initially deemed doubtful.
Suns center Mark Williams (right calf soreness) and forward Ryan Dunn were questionable for Saturday’s loss to Denver before being downgraded to out. Head coach Jordan Ott discussed the status of both players prior to the game, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter video link). “The (right) knee was doing well,” Ott said of Williams. “Something independently just popped up (during Friday’s loss at OKC) with the calf. Don’t think it’s too serious. We want to play the long game with him. He’s done a great job of building back up and being available for us.” Dunn, meanwhile, has missed the past five games with a right wrist sprain. “He’s in a good place. He’s only been out six or seven days, however (long) it’s been,” Ott said of the 2024 first-round pick. “It’s just a pain tolerance, flexibility. Of course it’s the shooting wrist. Things are in a good place. We’ll continue to assess, but I would imagine it’s relatively soon (when he returns).”
Warriors forward Jimmy Butler took a hard fall during Saturday’s win over New Orleans but is optimistic he’ll be ready to go on Tuesday against Oklahoma City, as Anthony Slater of ESPN relays (Twitter video link). Through 19 games (31.7 MPG) this season, the six-time All-Star is averaging 20.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.2 APG and 1.6 SPG on .527/.436/.856 shooting.

Suns Notes: Green, Brooks, Livers, Williams

November 1st, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Green won’t be active when the Suns host San Antonio on Sunday night, but he appears to be getting closer to making his season debut, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix was counting on Green to help carry the scoring load after acquiring him from the Rockets as part of the Kevin Durant trade, but he has been out of action with a strained right hamstring. He took an important step toward returning on Saturday by participating in five-on-five drills.

“It was full-court before practice,” coach Jordan Ott said. “So that part is good. We’ll have to take a look tonight after this and into (Sunday).”

Green was extremely durable during his time in Houston, playing in all 82 games the past two seasons, but he’s been dealing with the hamstring issue since early in training camp. He reaggravated it in early October when the Suns traveled to China for two games against Brooklyn.

There’s more from Phoenix:

Dillon Brooks will miss his fourth straight game on Sunday, Rankin states in the same piece, and his diagnosis has been changed from right groin soreness to a core muscle strain. “The soft tissue piece to it,” Ott told reporters before Friday’s game. “His pain tolerance being super high and trying to put a timeline on when Dillon Brooks can physically get out there. We know he’s going to step out there. That’s the thing we’re learning (about) Dillon in this process as he returns back.” Brooks was averaging a career-high 19.3 PPG before getting hurt.
Two-way player Isaiah Livers sat out the second half Friday with a right hip contusion and is considered doubtful for Sunday, Rankin adds. Livers missed all of last season with an injured right hip, but Ott said there’s no cause for concern. “Just got hit on his hip,” he explained. “Sounds like he’ll be day-to-day. It’s nothing from his surgery. Just an unlucky spot.”
Ott plans to build up Mark Williams‘ minutes as the season progresses, Rankin tweets. Williams, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, is averaging just 24.4 minutes per night through five games. “We’re going to be smart. We know it’s an 82-game season,” Ott said. “It’s going to continually be a talking point with our group based on how he played that night and physically how he feels the next day. Ideally, it continues to go up to where it’s lifted. We’re going to be pretty strategic in how we use him because we want him healthy, want him to play game after game after game.”

Suns Notes: Ishbia, Ott, Nash, Williams, More

October 24th, 2025 at 11:15pm CST by Rory Maher

In the months leading up to the 2025/26 campaign, owner Mat Ishbia talked repeatedly about a desire to turn the Suns into a tough, physical team that consistently plays hard and with aggression on both ends of the court. Ishbia was encouraged by the way the team took on that new identity during the preseason, but acknowledges there’s still work to be done, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays.

“It’s not all the way there yet,” Ishbia said. “Am I surprised? I’m really happy with where we’re at, but at the same time, we have a long way to go. Doing the things we’ve been talking about, an identity we’ve been talking about, we’re going to do it, but doing it for 48 minutes and then doing it for 48 minutes for 82 games, there’s still a process.”

Here’s more on the Suns:

First-year head coach Jordan Ott has helped foster the team’s emphasis on toughness and defense through competitive practices and a steadfast work ethic, writes Doug Haller of The Athletic. While there will undoubtedly be bumps along the way, Wednesday’s season-opening comeback win against Sacramento was reflective of Ott’s own resiliency, according to Haller.
Ishbia announced last month that Steve Nash has returned to the Suns as a senior advisor while also being an analyst for Amazon Prime Video. Nash recently explained what his advisory role with the Suns entails, referring to himself as a “sounding board” who can provide a big-picture perspective the team might lack at times during a long season. “I’m there as a resource, to share my experiences,” Nash said, per Rankin. “We have a rookie coach, a rookie GM (Brian Gregory). An organization that’s trying to reset. Someone that got a chance to play in the league for 17 years, got to coach in the league, I think there’s an opportunity just to be able to share my experiences, my thoughts around the game.”
Offseason acquisition Mark Williams made his Suns debut on Wednesday, recording six points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench, with a game-high plus/minus (+15). “It meant a lot,” Williams said (story via Rankin). “It felt good. The energy in the arena was great. Teammates had my back. Good to be out there.” Williams, who will be a restricted free agent next summer, is on a minutes restriction for the time being, Rankin adds.
In a press release, the Valley Suns — Phoenix’s G League affiliate — officially announced the team’s coaching staff, tweets Rankin.

No Rookie Scale Extensions For Rockets’ Eason, 11 Others

October 20th, 2025 at 5:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets and forward Tari Eason failed to come to terms on a rookie scale extension ahead of the 5:00 pm Central time deadline on Monday, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Entering the day, Eason looked like one of the top remaining candidates to sign a rookie scale extension, along with Nuggets wing Christian Braun and Hawks guard Dyson Daniels. However, while Braun and Daniels completed deals worth $25MM annually, the Rockets and Eason were unable to find common ground “on multiple fronts,” according to Charania.

That wording suggests the two sides not have seen eye to eye on both years and dollars, or perhaps they disagreed over how the end of a potential extension would be structured in terms of options and/or guaranteed money.

According to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), the Rockets and Eason’s camp had been “far apart in valuation” for weeks and weren’t able to bridge that gap despite an 11th hour push from the team, which was in position to work out an agreement with Eason after extending Kevin Durant over the weekend.

Eason is one of 12 players who didn’t sign rookie scale extensions prior to Monday’s deadline despite being eligible. Those players will now be on track for restricted free agency when their rookie scale contracts expire during the 2026 offseason.

Here’s that full list of players, sorted by their 2022 draft position and with their projected 2026 qualifying offers included in parentheses:

Jaden Ivey, Pistons ($13,402,098)
Bennedict Mathurin, Pacers ($12,256,222)
Jeremy Sochan, Spurs ($9,615,393)
Ousmane Dieng, Thunder ($9,132,437)
Jalen Duren, Pistons ($8,966,188)
Ochai Agbaji, Raptors ($8,879,483)
Mark Williams, Suns ($8,774,590)
Tari Eason, Rockets ($8,014,182)
Dalen Terry, Bulls ($7,661,348)
Malaki Branham, Wizards ($7,110,593)
Walker Kessler, Jazz ($7,064,702)
Peyton Watson, Nuggets ($6,534,714)

Those qualifying offers, which must be issued in order to make the player a restricted free agent, are subject to change depending on whether or not the player meets the starter criteria next season. A player drafted in the top 14 who falls short of the criteria would have a qualifying offer worth $8,774,590. A player who was drafted between No. 10 and No. 30 and achieves the starter criteria would see the value of his QO increase to $9,615,393.

A team that issues a qualifying offer to a potential restricted free agent gains the right of first refusal on that player and can match any offer sheet he signs with a rival suitor. A player who doesn’t get a QO next June would hit the market as an unrestricted free agent.

Magic forward Paolo Banchero, Thunder teammates Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, Kings forward Keegan Murray, Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe, and Heat forward Nikola Jovic joined Braun and Daniels in signing rookie scale extensions, bringing the total for 2025 to nine. The details on those deals can be viewed here.

Suns Notes: Ishbia, Lawsuits, Williams, Centers, Butler, Jones

October 19th, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of Suns minority owners dismissed their lawsuit against majority owner Mat Ishbia and the team on Friday, but intend to file a new suit over what their lawyer refers to as Ishbia’s “mismanagement” of the franchise, reports Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.

It’s the latest development in a legal battle within the Suns’ ownership group. Andy Kohlberg (Kisco WC Sports) and Scott Seldin (Kent Circle Investments) sued the Suns and Ishbia in August, alleging that they weren’t being permitted to view records and financial information that would help them understand how the team was being run and how much their shares are worth. Ishbia filed a countersuit earlier this week, arguing that the initial suit was part of a negative PR campaign against him as those minority owners sought a buyout at an “extortionate” cost.

“Our clients succeeded in their books and records action in obtaining information we were seeking and have discontinued that case,” Michael Carlinsky, an attorney representing Kohlberg and Seldin, said in a statement, per Vorkunov. “We are now focused on the critical phase in our litigation, which will involve our clients’ assertion of claims for mismanagement and other misconduct and look forward to their day in court.”

Ishbia and the Suns remain confident that nothing will come of the new suit.

“This is more of the same from litigious limited partners who are using the courts to try to leverage a buyout,” Suns spokesperson Stacey Mitch said. “They dropped their books and records complaint because the organization is and has been fully transparent about its operations and success. We are confident that we will prevail in court.”

We have more on the Suns:

After taking part in a competitive scrimmage on Saturday, Suns center Mark Williams is on track to be available for the team when the regular season tips off on Wednesday, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “This was the most minutes he’s seen in a scrimmage that we’ve played,” head coach Jordan Ott said. “Mark is big. You can see his size out there, both ends. Offensively, puts pressure on the rim. Defensively, when someone is driving in there, you have to make the decision.” Phoenix has taken a cautious approach with Williams this fall due to his extensive injury history — he has played just 106 of 246 possible regular season games during his first three years in the NBA.
While Williams is expected to start at center, Ott said the rotation in the middle will be “fluid” early in the season, per Rankin. Oso Ighodaro, Nick Richards, and rookie Khaman Maluach will also be in the mix. “On a night-to-night basis, we’ll have a plan going into it, but we have to be a little fluid as coaches and kind of read the games and see exactly who is impacting winning out there on the court on a night-to-night basis,” Ott explained.
According to Rankin, Ott called it a “really tough” decision to cut Jared Butler, who had a big preseason with the Suns while on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract. Butler averaged 15.5 points, 4.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 20.9 minutes per game across four preseason outings, but was waived because Phoenix is operating slightly over the tax line and apparently doesn’t plan to fill its 15th roster spot for now. “He was part of us for multiple months,” Ott said of Butler. “He really helped our group. Helped his teammates. Helped our intensity of camp. … Hopefully at the end of it, JB knows that we tried to do the best we could. Hopefully, we helped him.”
Former Suns general manager James Jones said on Thursday that his time in Phoenix was “phenomenal” and spoke about his new role in the NBA’s league office. Rankin has the highlights in a story for The Arizona Republic.

Extension Rumors: Daniels, Ivey, Duren, Eason, Braun, Sharpe

October 18th, 2025 at 7:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

After talking to agents and executives around the league, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line states in his latest Substack column (subscription required) that there will likely be few, if any, rookie scale extensions reached before Monday’s deadline that carry an average annual value larger than $25MM. Fischer adds that teams have become more cautious about handing out large deals because of the restrictions that accompany the first and second aprons.

He points to Hawks guard Dyson Daniels as someone who should be in good position to match the five-year, $150MM extensions that teammate Jalen Johnson and Orlando guard Jalen Suggs both received last offseason. However, sources tell Fischer that Atlanta’s front office is willing to let Daniels test restricted free agency next year if he won’t sign on the team’s terms.

Fischer notes that Daniels’ agent, Daniel Moldovan, also represents Josh Giddey, who just went through a months-long standoff with the Bulls in restricted free agency. Fischer adds that Daniels would likely be entering a more robust market for restricted free agents than the one that Giddey faced.

Fischer offers more information on players eligible for rookie scale extensions:

Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren haven’t made much progress in their extension talks with the Pistons, sources tell Fischer. He suggests that management might be extra cautious with Ivey following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week. Ivey’s camp expects an active market if he does hit free agency, even though he’s also coming off a fractured left tibia that cost him most of last season. Sources describe negotiations with Duren as “tepid” so far, per Fischer, who adds that his representatives are asking for a new deal worth much more than $30MM in AAV and are also optimistic about his prospects on the open market.
The Rockets are hoping to sign Tari Eason to an extension that’s “significantly lower” than the five-year, $122MM deal that Jabari Smith Jr. accepted this summer, according to Fischer. The outcome of the Eason negotiations will affect what Houston is willing to give Kevin Durant in his extension talks, Fischer adds. With Amen Thompson expected to receive a max extension next offseason, Houston is being careful about not overloading its salary commitments. Fischer talked to capologists who said they would recommend limiting any Durant offers to $80MM over two years. As Fischer notes, it’s not certain that Durant would remain with the Rockets at that number.
It seems unlikely that Christian Braun will reach an extension agreement with the Nuggets, Fischer states. Sources tell him that Denver is already sending signals that it doesn’t want to become a taxpaying team next season, while Braun and his camp are hoping for a deal at $25MM in average annual value. The Nuggets are also holding extension talks with Peyton Watson, but Fischer suggests a new deal with him may not happen unless they can’t agree to terms with Braun.
Fischer views Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe as the most likely remaining candidate to hammer out an extension before the deadline. Rival teams that Fischer contacted expect Portland to give Sharpe something in the neighborhood of $100MM over four years.
Suns center Mark Williams, Jazz center Walker Kessler and Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin all appear headed for restricted free agency, Fischer states. Of the three, Fischer points to Mathurin as the most likely to change teams because of Indiana’s reluctance to add more long-term salary.

Extensions Not Expected For Hawks’ Young, Suns’ Williams

October 16th, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hawks will not sign star point guard Trae Young to an extension before the season begins, league sources tell Fred Katz and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

The news doesn’t come as a surprise — Jake Fischer reported a couple months ago that the two sides weren’t expected to discuss an extension during the offseason. Katz and Vardon say the Hawks want to see how the new-look roster meshes before making a potential long-term commitment to the four-time All-Star.

Young admitted late last month that he was a little disappointed about entering training camp without an extension in place, but also said he was focused on the present and wouldn’t let the lack of a new deal be a distraction.

Young is coming off a 2024/25 season in which he played 76 games (36.0 minutes per contest) while averaging 24.2 points, a league-high 11.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals, with a shooting line of .411/.340/.875.

There’s no real urgency to extend Young from Atlanta’s perspective. While he could become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he declines his player option (worth about $49MM) for 2026/27, he will remain extension-eligible throughout the ’25/26 league year. Signing an in-season extension would also require Young to decline that option.

Whether they sign him to a rookie scale extension before Monday’s deadline or re-sign him as a restricted free agent in 2026, the Hawks feel good about their chances of retaining Most Improved Player winner Dyson Daniels, according to Katz and Vardon.

In other extension news, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 cautions (via Twitter) not to expect a rookie scale deal for Suns center Mark Williams. The former Duke big man has frequently been injured over his first three seasons, appearing in a total of just 106 games, and Phoenix appears likely to use ’25/26 to evaluate his fit after acquiring him in a summer trade with Charlotte.

Fischer reported last week that the Suns were considered unlikely to sign Williams to an extension. If no deal is reached, the 23-year-old would be a restricted free agent next summer, assuming he’s given a qualifying offer.

Injury Notes: Sabonis, George, Williams, Bailey, Vanderbilt

October 16th, 2025 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings fell to 0-3 during the preseason on Wednesday with a loss to the Clippers. More concerning than the defeat was the fact that star center Domantas Sabonis exited the game midway through the third quarter and was ultimately ruled out for the rest of the night due to what the team called a right hamstring issue, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (subscription required).

Sacramento already projects to be shorthanded in the frontcourt when the regular season begins next week, with forward Keegan Murray sidelined due to thumb surgery. It’s unclear whether or not Sabonis’ injury is serious enough to jeopardize his availability for the start of the season — head coach Doug Christie said after the game that he didn’t have a concrete update yet on the big man’s status.

“Listen, your star player goes down, you never want to see that, period,” Christie said, according to Anderson. “I can’t speculate on what it is. Hopefully it’s nothing. We have some time before the first game, but those are the things you just don’t want to see. But it’s part of what we do. It’s the same thing with Keegan. As unfortunate as it is, it’s just part of our game.”

We have more notes on injuries from around the NBA:

Sixers forward Paul George continues to make progress in his recovery from offseason knee surgery. Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters on Wednesday that George has advanced to participating in live, full-court three-on-three drills, as Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports relays (via Twitter). It’s the first time the veteran forward has taken part in live action this fall.
There’s a belief in Phoenix that center Mark Williams will be available for opening night after not playing at all in the preseason, says John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (Twitter link). The Suns big man has been playing 5-on-5 and will get the opportunity to take part in a few more scrimmages before the team’s opener next Wednesday. Gambadoro adds (via Twitter) that he doesn’t expect Jalen Green (hamstring) to miss more than two or three games at the start of the season unless he experiences another setback.
Rookie forward Ace Bailey has been ruled out for the Jazz‘s preseason finale on Thursday due to bilateral knee tendinopathy, tweets Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Head coach Will Hardy downplayed the issue earlier this week, so there’s no indication at this point that Bailey won’t be ready when the regular season tips off next Wednesday.
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt was ruled out of the second half of Wednesday’s preseason game vs. Dallas due to a left quad contusion, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says the injury appeared to occur when Vanderbilt got kneed in the thigh. Vanderbilt is hoping to play a key role for L.A. this season after being limited to 65 total outings over the last two regular seasons due to health issues.

Jalen Green To Miss Start Of Season With Hamstring Injury

October 15th, 2025 at 7:25am CST by Luke Adams

Jalen Green won’t be ready to make his Suns debut when the team’s regular season schedule opens next Wednesday, according to head coach Jordan Ott. Prior to Tuesday’s preseason finale against the Lakers, Ott told reporters – including Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic – that Green aggravated the hamstring injury he sustained early in training camp.

“We all know the soft tissue injuries are really hard to see exactly the progress,” Ott said. “Obviously it’s frustrating, but this is all part of it. Thankfully we caught it early, it’s not that serious, but he wants to be out there. New teammates, new system. There’s just other ways. We’re going to have to speed him up. That’s the reality of it. He did a great job in the China trip hanging in there with us.”

Ott initially described Green’s injury in early October as a “low grade” hamstring strain. The reaggravation occurred during the team’s trip to China for a pair of exhibition games against Brooklyn, preventing the newly acquired guard from suiting up in any of Phoenix’s four preseason contests.

Green will be reevaluated in 10 days, Ott said on Tuesday. That means he’ll miss the team’s regular season opener against Sacramento next Wednesday, but might have a chance to play in one game of a back-to-back set next Friday and Saturday against the Clippers and Nuggets.

Green spent the first four years of his NBA career in Houston before being sent to Phoenix along with Dillon Brooks in the blockbuster Kevin Durant trade over the summer. Injuries were rarely an issue for the former No. 2 overall pick during his time as a Rocket — he has appeared in all 82 regular season games in each of the past two seasons and hasn’t missed a game since February 2023.

Suns center Mark Williams also didn’t play in any of the club’s four preseason contests, but that was part of a plan designed to ramp him up for the start of the regular season. He has been playing live 5-on-5, Ott said on Tuesday, per Rankin.

While they rested some of their regulars on Tuesday, the Suns have been rolling with a starting lineup of Devin Booker, Brooks, Grayson Allen, Ryan Dunn, and Oso Ighodaro for most of the preseason. Williams would presumably replace Ighodaro if he’s ready to go for the start of the season, while Green would likely step in for either Allen or Dunn once he’s cleared to return.