The Phoenix Suns are entering the 2025-26 season with more questions than answers after a turbulent year that ended in disappointment. Coming off a 36-46 record and a massive roster overhaul, the franchise has embraced a new era under first-time head coach Jordan Ott. Gone are the championship-or-bust expectations that hovered over the team in the Kevin Durant years. In their place is a roster filled with new energy, unproven fits, and the potential for growth if the right players step into their roles.

At the center of this transformation is Jalen Green. The 23-year-old guard arrives from Houston with a reputation as one of the league’s most athletic and electric scorers. His fit next to Devin Booker is perhaps the single most important swing factor in determining whether Phoenix overachieves in 2025-26 or remains mired in the Western Conference’s middle tier. For a Suns team searching for identity and a new offensive engine, Green is both the biggest gamble and the greatest opportunity.

Why Jalen Green holds the key to the Suns’ season

When the Suns traded for Jalen Green, they were not simply acquiring another scorer; they were betting on untapped potential. Through four seasons in Houston, Green showed flashes of brilliance but never quite put everything together. His career averages: 20.1 points per game on 42.2% shooting with streaky three-point accuracy, speak to both his undeniable talent and his inconsistency. At times, he looked like a future All-Star capable of taking over games with his speed and shot-making. At others, he struggled with decision-making, efficiency, and defensive focus.

In Houston, Green was asked to be the primary scoring option, a role that often magnified his weaknesses. He carried the burden of creating offense in a young, chaotic environment where structure was still being built. Now in Phoenix, the context is entirely different. He is no longer the unquestioned first option; that responsibility falls to Devin Booker, but rather the secondary scorer and complementary creator. This shift could unlock the best version of Green yet.

For the Suns, the challenge is clear: they need Green to be the consistent No. 2 option behind Booker. Phoenix’s roster lacks proven shot creation outside of its star backcourt. Dillon Brooks brings toughness and defense, Royce O’Neale offers versatility, and bigs like Nick Richards and Mark Williams provide interior presence, but none are designed to shoulder heavy offensive loads. That leaves Green with both an opportunity and a responsibility. If he thrives, the Suns’ offense could become dynamic enough to keep them in the playoff hunt.

Ott’s system is expected to emphasize pace, spacing, and versatility; all things that align with Green’s strengths. His explosiveness in transition, ability to pull up from three, and knack for attacking closeouts give Phoenix a dimension they sorely lacked last season. Next to Booker, a methodical and precise scorer, Green’s chaotic energy could create a balance that keeps defenses off guard. The question is whether he can adapt his game from high-usage isolation play to a more efficient, team-oriented style.

The breakout potential that could shock the NBA

Every breakout player has a “what if” factor attached, and for Jalen Green, the “what if” has always been about consistency. What if he can sustain his scoring efficiency for 82 games? What if his defensive effort matches his athletic gifts? What if his shot selection improves alongside a star like Booker? The answers to these questions will determine whether Green can leap from high-volume scorer to a legitimate All-Star threat.

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The signs of growth are already there. Green’s fourth season in Houston saw him average 21.0 points on improved efficiency, hitting 35.4% of his threes and showing more comfort in secondary playmaking with 3.4 assists per game. Those numbers don’t yet scream stardom, but they indicate progress. In Phoenix, where he will see more open looks created by Booker’s gravity, that efficiency has room to climb.

The Suns don’t need Green to suddenly morph into a superstar. They need him to take a steady leap forward, one that allows him to thrive in his role without pressing to do too much. A version of Jalen Green who averages 22 points per game on league-average efficiency, contributes as a secondary playmaker, and gives effort defensively would represent a breakthrough that changes the Suns’ ceiling. That’s not an unrealistic ask; in fact, it’s exactly the type of progression you expect from a 23-year-old entering his prime.

And make no mistake: if Green delivers, the narrative around Phoenix shifts dramatically. Instead of being a team stuck in limbo, they suddenly have a young backcourt with a foundation for the future. Booker’s prime is preserved, Green’s potential is realized, and the rest of the roster falls into place.

This is why Green is not just another offseason acquisition. He is the X-Factor, the player who could shock the NBA by becoming the kind of consistent, efficient star that skeptics doubted he could be in Houston. For Phoenix, that would be the difference between another year in the lottery and a team no one wants to face in the postseason.

X-factor for the Suns

The Suns are entering a defining season in 2025-26, one that will either solidify their new direction or expose lingering flaws. At the center of it all is Jalen Green, a player whose career arc remains unwritten. With a new coach, a fresh system, and the right star partner in Devin Booker, Green has the chance to silence his critics and shock the NBA with a breakout season.

It won’t be easy; consistency has eluded him, and Phoenix’s roster still has holes. But the path is clear: if Green leaps, the Suns could rise with him. For a franchise in need of hope, there may be no bigger storyline than whether Jalen Green can finally deliver on the promise that made him a top draft pick. And if he does, 2025-26 will be remembered not as another rebuilding year for the Suns, but as the season when Jalen Green arrived as a star.