With the departures of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in the offseason, the Phoenix Suns are in rebuild mode going into the 2025-26 campaign. Beal’s move to the Clippers specifically leaves the point guard spot vacant in the Valley.
The Suns have recently had some great ball handlers. Before Beal, Chris Paul held the point guard position, captaining them to the 2021 NBA Finals and two NBA All-Star appearances during his time in Arizona. Ricky Rubio preceded Paul in the 2019-20 season.
Granted, Jordan Ott may name his side’s true star, Devin Booker, as the point guard ahead of the season. But assuming the four-time All-Star continues as a shooting guard, here are some current options to anchor the offense.
Ranking the Suns’ Current Options at Point Guard
No. 3: Grayson Allen
Grayson Allen is no stranger to the spotlight. After winning a 2015 NCAA National Championship with Duke as a bench player, he became a force with the Blue Devils, making the 2015-16 Men’s Wooden All-America Team.
Since being drafted by the Utah Jazz in 2018, Allen has mainly starred off the bench. He only began receiving key minutes during the 2020-21 season with the Memphis Grizzlies, with 38 starts in 50 games played. That grew over the coming seasons, starting 74 games during the 2023-24 season, his first with the Suns.
Allen had a more reserved role last season, only starting seven out of his 64 games played. But his time on the court is well spent. He continued to knock down crucial triples and dish out assists as well. Despite decreasing his scoring production, he still averaged double figures.
Entering his eighth season, Allen can take on more of a veteran role on the new-look Suns. Helping the offense stay in control can give him more autonomy to succeed.
No. 2: Collin Gillespie
Despite being on a two-way contract last season, Collin Gillespie may be the Suns’ closest match to a point guard. He can run the offense, especially in late-game situations, and even get some buckets himself. The Villanova graduate started regularly appearing for the Suns in January, and started eight consecutive games between March 17th and April 1st of this year when Beal was inactive.
While Gillespie only averaged 5.9 points per game, he scored 10 fourth-quarter points in a 119-117 win over the LA Clippers on March 4th, a game where the Suns trailed by 19 heading into the final 12 minutes. He also reached double figures in each of the last three games, becoming a bright spot for a whimpering side.
Commencing his third season in the NBA and his second with the Suns, Gillespie is looking to grow under Ott, and “have more of an opportunity to prove it to [himself] and to the Suns organization that they made the right decision,” upon receiving a full contract in the offseason. A starting point guard role could jumpstart his breakthrough.
No. 1: Jalen Green
Outside of Booker, Jalen Green may be the brightest star on the team. He led the Houston Rockets with 21 points per game last season and averaged at least 17.3 points in all four seasons in Space City. The 2020 McDonald’s All-American has also been consistent, never missing a regular season start for the Rockets in the past two campaigns.
But because Green is a shooting guard, he is in conflict with Booker, who has held the role since being drafted by Phoenix in 2015. Barring a trade including one of the two players, Green would have to adapt.
Granted, the Fresno, Calif. native has been mentored by point guards before. The Rockets featured Fred VanVleet, who led the team in minutes per game. While VanVleet won a title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, he was not the point guard on that team. But he grew into that role. Houston also featured a 28-year-old Aaron Holiday, who played for the Suns in the 2021-22 season.
After four years of being on a well-balanced team, Green can grow his versatility and star power with the help of Booker, who can make Green more available, vocal and steady when controlling an offense. It’s something that can help the 23-year-old as he becomes a veteran.
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