There is no question who the face of the Phoenix Suns is. It is Devin Booker.

Booker has been the heart of this franchise for years, and entering the 2026-27 season, Phoenix still goes as far as its superstar can take it. But this season feels different because the Suns have to find a way to take some of the pressure off Booker’s shoulders.

Booker can score 25, 30 or even 40 points on any given night. He can create his own shot, make plays for teammates and take over a game when Phoenix needs him most.

But asking Booker to carry the offense for 82 games is not the formula for getting the Suns where they want to go. The goal has to be bigger than Booker putting up big numbers. The goal has to be building a team around Booker that allows him to be at his best when the games matter most.

Booker Doesn’t Need to Prove Anything Anymore

At this point in his career, Booker doesn’t need to prove that he is a superstar. We already know. What Phoenix needs is for Booker to be fresh, healthy and aggressive when the postseason arrives.

There is a difference between being the best player on a team and having to do everything for that team. If Booker has to bring the ball up, create the offense, score 30 points, make every big play and defend the opponent’s best perimeter player every night, eventually that workload catches up with you.

The Suns need to make Booker’s job easier without taking away what makes him special. That means giving him players who can create shots. It means giving him players who can defend. It means giving him a legitimate inside presence.

And most importantly, it means developing players who can step up when defenses decide that Booker is not going to beat them.

Jalen Green Could Be the Difference

This is where Jalen Green becomes extremely important. Green has the talent to become that guy. The athletic ability is there. The scoring ability is there. The speed is there. The explosiveness is there. But Phoenix doesn’t need Green to try to become Devin Booker. That’s not his job.

The Suns need Green to become Jalen Green. If Green can stay healthy and become consistent, Phoenix suddenly has another player defenses have to worry about. Think about what that means. If a team puts its best perimeter defender on Booker, Green has an opportunity. If the defense starts sending extra attention toward Booker, Green has an opportunity.

If Booker is having an off night, Green has an opportunity. And if both players are playing at a high level?

That’s when Phoenix becomes a completely different problem. The biggest question isn’t whether Green has the talent. He does. The question is whether he can put it together consistently enough for Phoenix to trust him every night. That’s the next step.

Dillon Brooks Brings Something Phoenix Needs

Dillon Brooks is another important piece because the Suns need toughness. Every playoff team eventually runs into a situation where somebody has to take the difficult defensive assignment. That’s where Brooks can make his presence felt.

He brings physicality, confidence and a willingness to compete against bigger and stronger wings. And that’s important because Phoenix cannot expect Booker to be the offensive engine and then ask him to spend the entire night chasing the other team’s best perimeter scorer. Brooks gives the Suns another option.

Against teams like Denver, Oklahoma City and Minnesota, Phoenix is going to see big, athletic players who can attack from multiple positions. Somebody has to be willing to take those assignments. That’s where Brooks can help.

Miles Bridges Gives Phoenix More Size and Athleticism

Miles Bridges also gives the Suns something they have needed: size and athleticism on the wing. The NBA is becoming increasingly difficult to defend because teams have multiple players who can handle the ball, attack the basket and shoot from outside. 

You can’t just have one perimeter defender and expect that to work for an entire playoff series. Phoenix needs bodies. It needs versatility.

It needs players who can switch, run the floor, rebound and make plays without needing the offense built around them. Bridges can help provide that. And again, it comes back to Booker. The more players Phoenix has who can do different things, the less Booker has to do everything.

Mark Williams Could Change the Offense

Then there is Mark Williams. This might be one of the most important pieces of the entire roster. Why?

Because Booker with a legitimate pick-and-roll center changes the way defenses have to guard Phoenix. Think about Booker’s ability to operate with a big who can roll hard to the basket. Now the defense has a decision to make. Do you stay with Booker?

Do you help on the roll? Do you protect the paint? Do you switch? Every decision creates another opportunity. That’s what a good pick-and-roll can do.

It can make life easier for the ball handler while creating opportunities for the big man.

Williams also gives Phoenix another target around the basket and another player who can finish plays instead of asking Booker to create everything himself. That could be huge.

Phoenix doesn’t necessarily need Booker to have the ball every possession. They need Booker to have the ball when it matters.

My 2026-27 Booker Prediction

If Booker stays healthy, I see him finishing the season somewhere around: 25–27 points per game, 6–7 assists per game, and 4–5 rebounds per game. Those numbers would still represent an elite offensive season. But here’s the bigger story:

Booker’s individual numbers aren’t what will determine whether this season is successful. The Suns’ success will be determined by what happens around him.

If Green becomes consistent, that’s a major win. If Brooks gives Phoenix the defensive toughness it needs, that’s a major win. If Bridges provides size, athleticism and versatility, that’s a major win. If Williams becomes the pick-and-roll partner Phoenix needs, that’s a major win. And if all of those things happen at the same time? Now we’re talking about a Suns team that can be dangerous.

Booker Needs to Be the Superstar — Not the Entire Team

That’s the difference. Phoenix doesn’t need Booker to score 35 every night. They need him to be the player who takes over when the game is on the line. They need him healthy in April and May. They need him surrounded by teammates who can win individual battles. They need other teams to look at the Suns and realize they can’t simply shut down Booker and expect Phoenix to collapse. That’s how you build a serious contender.

Booker should still be the centerpiece. He should still take the big shots. He should still be the player Phoenix trusts when everything is on the line. But he shouldn’t have to carry the entire offense for 82 games just to get the Suns into position for the playoffs.

The next version of the Phoenix Suns has to be about Booker plus a complete team. If Jalen Green becomes the consistent scorer Phoenix believes he can be, if the defense becomes tougher with Brooks and Bridges, and if Mark Williams gives Booker the inside pick-and-roll weapon he has been missing, this Suns team could look very different.

And that’s why I believe the biggest question for Phoenix in 2026-27 isn’t simply:

“How good will Devin Booker be?”

We already know the answer to that.

The real question is:

“How much better can Devin Booker be when he doesn’t have to do it all by himself?”