The Phoenix Suns have numerous decisions ahead of them this upcoming offseason, including multiple restricted free agents, unrestricted free agents, and players with trade value. The following series will examine those decisions as our writing team presents both a point and a counterpoint for each.
The offseason ahead forces the Phoenix Suns into a delicate balancing act. There is a very real temptation to shake up the backcourt following a season that left everyone wanting more despite exceeding expectations. Still, Jalen Green shouldn’t just be cast aside as expendable trade bait. That is, unless the perfect deal comes along.
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Arriving in Phoenix in late June as a part of the blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant to Houston, Green was brought in to provide a premium athletic punch next to Devin Booker.
Green is a high-octane offensive motor with immense upside, but it’s clear his first year in the Valley wasn’t entirely a smooth ride. He has far more to his game than a standard isolation scorer; he is a legitimate athletic downhill threat who puts massive structural pressure on the paint when he attacks. While a recurring hamstring injury sidelined him for a significant chunk of the calendar, and his raw efficiency was highly erratic, Green still showcased why he is one of the most dynamic young assets on the team, posing a physical problem for opposing defenses that few others on this roster can replicate.
He was critical during the play-in games against Portland and Golden State, keeping Phoenix’s playoff hopes alive for just a bit longer.
Expanded Role + Growing Pains
Green’s 2025–26 season naturally requires us to look through an optimistic yet grounded lens. This wasn’t a flawless debut campaign, to say the least. Missing all of December and most of January with a recurring hamstring injury disrupted his rhythm significantly, and watching his three-point efficiency slide to a cold 31.3%, alongside a 42.2% overall field-goal percentage, are glaring yellow flags of caution to monitor.
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Across his 32 regular-season appearances, Green averaged 17.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. However, the efficiency split between wins and losses tells the real story: in Suns victories, he shot 45% from the field and 33.6% from deep, but in losses, those numbers plummeted to 39% and 28.3%. When Jalen isn’t hitting shots, his tendency to “hijack” the offense can stall out ball movement, occasionally leading him to take more field goal attempts than Devin Booker, which is a structural flaw this team cannot afford.
Yet, when he got his legs underneath him, the aggressiveness and high-intensity vertical pop were undeniable. Let’s not forget his true ceiling: he saved the Suns’ season in the do-or-die play-in game, putting together a masterclass to lift Phoenix past the Golden State Warriors. He has an elite first step and vertical bounce that force opposing coaching staffs to respect him, even during an objective shooting slump.
3 Reasons the Suns Should Keep Him
With the Suns’ influx of guard depth, it is incredibly easy to fall into the trap of viewing Green as expendable trade bait, similar to Grayson Allen. Just on a larger scale, from a role and salary-wise. But trading away a high-upside athletic weapon to clear a positional logjam could be a panicked mistake if the return doesn’t check several boxes.
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1. Perimeter Gravity + Paint Pressure
Even in a down shooting year, Green still commanded defensive attention. Teams don’t completely leave him open on the perimeter because they are terrified of his lightning-quick first step and ability to explode downhill.
When Booker is running the offense, the floor geometry completely changes if Green is loaded on the wing. If he can tighten up his shot selection, his ability to aggressively attack closeouts and pressure the rim will transition from an erratic luxury into necessity. It comes down to being a make-or-miss league sometimes, and when Green is “on,” he is nearly impossible to stop.
2. Physical Engine
This Suns team has historically been plagued by athleticism and toughness gaps, often leaning too heavily on perimeter finesse.
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Jalen Green possesses the exact explosive, high-motor archetype that every contending front office craves to puncture modern defensive shells/sets. He is a constant downhill threat with an explosive first step and athleticism to get where he wants on the court more often than not.
While his defense and playmaking still require major development and discipline, having that raw vertical power already in-house is a massive competitive advantage you don’t just throw away.
3. The Moveable $36.3M Sweet Spot
What makes Green even more vital is his financial structure heading into next season. He is under contract for ~$36.3 million for the 2026–27 campaign. In an era where the restrictive second apron can completely paralyze a front office, Green’s contract sits in a highly productive mid-tier sweet spot. It is a highly movable asset. For that exact reason, his name surfaces in potential trade rumors. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a large chunk on the surface, but it’s not one of those impossible-to-move type of deals. Especially at his age, with the flashes he’s shown.
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If the front office can find a premium blockbuster deal where combining his salary with another contract nets an elite, high-level forward that perfectly aligns with our timeline, you absolutely pick up the phone. But trading him for pennies on the dollar just to clear the runway is a mistake.
Closing Thought
As mentioned in my Grayson Allen piece, guard depth is a position of strength, not a flaw that requires a panicked offseason over-correction. Unless it makes sense.
Jalen Green is far from a finished product; his health history and shot selection are entirely valid concerns that keep this team’s ceiling volatile. However, unless a landscape-altering frontcourt piece becomes available via a consolidated trade package, keeping Green’s transition pressure, elite physical ceiling, and competitive fire in the Valley is the smartest path forward.
Let’s see if he can take the leap in year two with the Suns. If the perfect deal comes along that moves the needle, you look at it. Otherwise, let’s welcome Jalen back to the Valley with open arms.
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