Category: Sports News

Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we revisit every player who suited up during the 2025–26 campaign through the lens of expectation, reality, and what it ultimately meant.

Player Snapshot

• Position: SG
• Age: 24
• 2026-27 Contract Status: $36.3 million
• SunsRank (Preseason): 2
• SunsRank (Postseason): 3

*SunsRank is based on Bright Side writers’ ranking.

Season in One Sentence

Jalen Green proved that he is who he has always been.

By the Numbers

The Expectation

Jalen Green was supposed to come into the season as an electric athlete who could fill up the scoring column in the box score. He was supposed to be the number two scoring option on this team, who could give Booker a rest when needed.

That said, no one thought it was a guaranteed thing that Green was going to fit seamlessly on this team. In September, when Brandon Duenas played devil’s advocate and put forth three reasons the Suns weren’t going to make the playoffs this season, the number one predicted reason was that Booker and Green wouldn’t fit together. How many times have you heard the phrase, “there is only one ball” during your NBA fandom?

The athleticism of Jalen Green really was the main selling point of adding him to this roster. After years of wing rotations that consisted of Devin Booker, Grayson Allen, and Royce O’Neale, a true jump out of the gym, hit your head on the rim-type athlete was supposed to be a breath of fresh air.

On top of it all, Green was an iron man. He missed just 21 out of his first 328 games in the NBA.

The Reality

Unfortunately, an offseason hamstring injury resulted in a huge setback for Green. His first game of the year was on November 6th against the Clippers, the Suns’ 9th game of the year. The very next game, also against the Clippers, Green reaggravated his hamstring and returned to the sideline. He would not return until the Suns’ 44th game of the year, in Philadelphia on January 20th. After that, he played just 4 of the next 11 games. Finally, on February 19th, he returned in full. He played in games 56-80 and was finally back for good.

If you look at his stats for his age 23 season, you won’t see a leap into superstardom. He scored around the same number of points with a very similar efficiency to his averages with Houston.

He was not Phoenix’s second option this season, like many of us expected him to be. He was third in field goal attempts per game for the Suns. By the time Green was regularly in the lineup, Brooks had already established himself as Booker’s number 2.

What It Means

Jalen Green is who he is. He has been almost the exact same player every single year he has been in the NBA. He is not going to replace Booker someday as the Suns’ star shooting guard. So, with that in mind, why keep him? He is going to make $36 million dollars next season, and this team has no starting power forward.

He’s still just 23, he is on a big contract, and he plays a position that makes him redundant to the team’s game plan. At this point, Jalen Green is the Sun that I think makes the most sense to trade this offseason.

If the Suns do keep Green long-term, then expect him to play more games than he did this season, but expect the exact same production. This is just who Jalen Green is.

Defining Moment

Jalen Green was the hero of the play-in, scoring 35 points against the Trailblazers and 36 points against the Warriors.

I am a sucker for a game-winner, though. On February 21st, the Suns played the Magic without Devin Booker and needed a hero as the clock struck zero in double overtime. Jalen Green stepped up and hit this incredible shot

Grade: B

I give Jalen Green a B. We were all disappointed to start the season without him and even more so to get him for so few games in total this year. When he was on the court, Booker and Green never felt like the dynamic inside-out guard duo that we thought they could be. But, outside of injury, it wasn’t a disappointing year. Green came in and performed exactly as he always had.

Next year, he will probably do the same.

The amount of talent in this 2026 draft has been compared to some of the best draft classes the NBA has ever seen, drawing comparisons to the 1996 and 2003 drafts. The 1996 draft showcased names like Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, and Ray Allen. Widely regarded as the most talented class ever, the 2003 draft featured names like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony. With so many comparisons being drawn with this draft, it’s worth taking a deeper look at the peak of this draft, and one of those names is Cameron Boozer.

The basics

Cam Boozer, the 6’9 freshman out of Duke, has widely been deemed a top four pick in this year’s draft, and for good reason. Boozer has been around basketball since birth, being the son of NBA veteran Carlos Boozer. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 18, 2007, while his father was playing for the Utah Jazz. He was touted as an elite prospect in high school as a freshman. He didn’t fall short of expectations, leading Christopher Columbus High School in Westchester, Florida, to four 7A state championships. Boozer won Gatorade National Player of the Year as a sophomore and senior and was also named Florida Mr. Basketball and Mr. Basketball USA. In his senior year, he averaged 22.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 3.4 stocks (blocks + steals) per game.

His elite talent and winning ways made him a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in a loaded 2025-2026 NCAA class. Ultimately, he committed to Duke and continued his dominance at the collegiate level. Even in such a talented draft, Boozer stood out in his own unique ways, showing he’s capable of dominating at any level. He averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Boozer led the Blue Devils to a 31-3 record, securing a one seed in the 2026 NCAA tournament. They were eliminated on the infamous turnover at halfcourt that led to a UConn Braylon Mullins three, ending the Duke March Madness run at the Elite Eight. In the 73-72 loss, Boozer had 27 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks.

The good

Boozer is an elite offensive player. He stands at 6’9, 250 pounds, with a 7-foot wingspan – and plays like it. His game starts on the inside and moves out. He’s about as close to a mix of old-age and new-age big man as you can get. Boozer shot 55.6% from the floor his senior year, 39.1% from three, and 78.9% from the free throw line.

As far as his shot diet goes, 60% of his shots came in the paint, about 13% came from mid-range, and 26% came from three. Boozer was never perceived as an outside threat in high school but expanded his game at Duke. Most notable was his ability to shoot the three. He shot 42 percent on unguarded catch-and-shoot threes, 39 percent on guarded catch-and-shoot threes, 49 percent on spot-up threes, and 44 percent on pick-and-pops. For not being dubbed a natural “shooter,” these numbers are impressive.

Although the three is in his hip pocket, the meat and potatoes of Boozer’s game is inside of 15 feet. He often operates out of the post and uses a flurry of moves to find a way to put the ball in the basket. He isn’t quite as savvy as a guy like AJ Dybantsa in terms of getting to his spot, but he has good fundamentals and footwork that allow him to get easy buckets inside.

The room to grow

The concerns surrounding Boozer mostly stem from his lack of general athleticism.

For the most part, he plays below the rim, and scouts worry his reliance on brute strength likely won’t be an advantage in the bigger, faster, stronger NBA. Boozer is a good athlete but does not possess top-tier explosiveness like an AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson. This may affect his ability to finish strong at the rim and could limit his effectiveness in transition or when attacking the basket against more athletic defenders. As the NBA moves away from standard big men and more towards shooting and spacing at every position, there is concern Boozer’s skillset may not translate to the NBA.

Another area for improvement is at the defensive end of the floor. Although he’s a smart defensive player, Boozer may not be as dominant a rim protector at the next level. His shot-blocking numbers dropped notably from high school to college, which suggests he might struggle against substantially more athletic big men in the NBA. Boozer averaged just 0.6 blocks per game with Duke, just 2.0% of total shots taken by opponents. All the more reason for scouts to be concerned about his ability to guard length and athleticism. Additionally, his general lack of speed and lateral quickness puts him in vulnerable positions, especially when guarding on the perimeter. He’s not Daniel Gafford bad, but at best, he looks uncomfortable in space.

The good news for Boozer is that the concern teams and scouts have about him can be minimized by continuing to stretch his game outside of 15 feet and add some positional quickness. He’ll never be considered athletic, but his reliance on his size and fundamentals keep him in the top four prospects.

Fit with the Grizzlies (third selection)

As the Memphis Grizzlies continue to build around a young core that includes Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, and Zach Edey, selecting Boozer would add a key go-to offensive threat along with creating one of the more dynamic frontcourts in the league. Although the Grizzlies already have solid options at power forward, including Taylor Hendricks and GG Jackson Jr., Boozer’s talent is a huge tier above those guys. He would be the ideal power forward to add to this dynamic core. The Grizzlies were 25th in the NBA this season in offensive rating at 112.9 points per 100 possessions. Adding Boozer would be an incredible shot to the arm offensively. Memphis would still need a year or two to build into a playoff team, but man this team looks a lot more fun with Boozer.

Fit with the Bulls (fourth selection)

The other destination Boozer could find himself landing in, is Chicago. The Bulls have been a mess for the past decade, and this draft is their chance to significantly right the ship. If the Grizzlies were to take Caleb Wilson with the third pick, leaving Boozer on the board for the Bulls, Chicago should salivate at the idea of adding him to a young core of Matas Buzelis and Tre Jones. Jones showcased his ability to be a solid point guard this past season and Buzelis is an athletic, high-flyer, who can be a threat on both sides of the floor. Chicago was 23rd in the NBA in offensive rating this season at 113.0 points per 100 possessions. Cam Boozer would be the ideal offensive fit for a much-needed revival of Chicago basketball.

NBA comparison

Boozer is frequently compared to Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic for his combination of strength and the ability to finish inside the paint. His ceiling could be a combination of Banchero with a touch of Tim Duncan’s fundamentals and offensive prowess inside of 15 feet. If Boozer doesn’t reach that level, a slightly smaller Kevin Love is also in the cards. At his peak, Love was an offensive juggernaut who sucked up rebounds like a vacuum cleaner. Either way, Boozer will probably have a very solid NBA career.

There hasn’t been a playoff series since the 2018 Western Conference Finals that carries as much anticipation as the upcoming Spurs-Thunder clash, and for good reason. Both teams could upset Adam Silver’s precious era of parity, and the only thing stopping one of them from becoming a dynasty is, well, the other.

OKC has already reached the mountaintop, while San Antonio is nipping at their heels. This is the first matchup of what should be the rivalry of a generation, and whoever comes out on top between Wemby and Shai could also grab the title as best in the world.

So, let’s examine some of the key battles that will determine the war.

Rebounding

Rebounding has been OKC’s achilles heel for a few seasons now, and it could be problematic against the Spurs too. In the regular season, the Thunder’s 25.1% offensive rebounding rate ranked 25th in the league, while their 71% DREB was 16th. Meanwhile, the Spurs placed 9th (29.5%), and 1st (74.1%), respectively, in those categories, which played out in their regular season matchup, too: San Antonio scored 13 more second chance points in those games (+2.6 average).

Overall, the Spurs grabbed 12 more OREBs and 4 more DREBs across those five matches. It’s worth noting that those numbers are fattened by their fifth and final game, when the Thunder rested all their stars, and OKC has also been much better in the playoffs, with a 32.3% OREB compared to San Antonio’s 28.4%. On the other hand, the Spurs’ playoff opponents had much more capable frontcourts than what the Thunder faced, and the regular season’s larger sample should be more indicative of both team’s styles.

In such a close series, San Antonio needs to win on the margins, and that means dominating OKC on the glass.

Free throws

For as much hootin’ and hollerin’ there is around Shai’s foul grifting, he is still just one player. Even with his prowess getting to the line, the Thunder were “just” 9th league-wide in free throw rate, at 21.8% — just slightly behind the Spurs, who were at 21.9%. These two teams are neck and neck on the other end, too, as San Antonio was 1st in defensive free throw rate (17.9%) while OKC was second (18.3%), and none of those numbers have changed much in the playoffs. In the four regular season matchups when both Wemby and Shai played, the Spurs shot 15 more FTs than the Thunder did, though the large discrepancy is skewed by an outlier game that saw San Antonio have 17 more attempts in one night.

This will be a battle of strengths on both sides of the ball, and I’m fully here for the toxic discourse that will inevitably follow.

The Wemby mismatch

Wemby is a walking mismatch for every team in the league, but it was most pronounce against the Thunder due to the level of competition he dominated. In their regular season series, OKC had an abysmal 99.6 offensive rating with Wemby playing, which was largely caused by their shots (or lack thereof) at the basket: the Thunder only attempted 25.3% of their shots around the rim, which would’ve ranked 29th league-wide and was 6% lower than their full season average (31.3%). They had no answer to Wemby defensively, as he was always able to roam the paint by either matching up against a non-spacing big (Hartenstein), or sagging off of a guard who struggles to shoot (like Caruso, who went 2-12 from three in one game).

It’s a high risk, high reward strategy since Caruso (and other Thunder guards) has shown the ability to get hot from deep, but the Spurs have counters to that as well. In the Minnesota series, the Wolves forced Wemby to guard Terrance Shannon Jr. at times in the corners, but the Alien recovers so fast that he’s able to get back in the paint without giving the opposition an advantage, and that’s also aided by San Antonio’s impeccable defensive rotations beside him.

Shai hasn’t passed the Wemby test, either. The Alien allows the Spurs’ perimeter defenders (especially Stephon Castle) to guard the MVP aggressively: if they get beat off the dribble, they know that Wemby’s behind them to provide help, and because of this, Wemby’s presence has detered Shai from driving, forcing him to take difficult shots instead.

The one thing OKC can try is using Gortat screens to prevent Wemby from getting in position to contest shots. Minnesota did it multiple times in the first few games to some success, and the Thunder have better personnel to make it a more consistent strategy. It won’t work everytime, but if OKC executes it properly, some key possessions could be swung in their favor.

Offensively, Wemby renders one of the Thunder’s strengths moot. San Antonio made an absurd 70.5% of their attempts at the rim, which is over 10% higher than what OKC normally concedes in that area (60.2%, first in the regular season). Having a 7’5” alien as a lob threat certainly helps, but Wemby’s impact goes far beyond that. His gravity creates open driving lanes for San Antonio’s guards, or cuts that they can make for wide open finishes, like the example below.

In the regular season games, the Thunder used a smaller guard/wing on Wemby, allowing iHart or Chet to roam and provide backline help. This was largely ineffective due to Wemby’s shooting ability, his gravity, and the Spurs off-ball movement, so OKC tried playing Chet straight against him instead. Well, that didn’t even last a half, and OKC seemed lost during all of the Wemby minutes.

Still, Mark Daigneault has had over three months to gameplan against the Alien. He’ll have moree tricks up his sleeve now, and there’s still a wrinkle that was barely employed in the regular season: using one of Chet/iHart against Wemby while the other one acts as a roamer by sagging off of Castle. It’s a risk given that the latter is shooting 44% from three in the playoffs and has dealt with this type of coverage before, but neither Castle nor Wemby has experienced it against an all-time great defense that has had months to prepare for this specific matchup.

If anyone can find an advantage over Wemby and the Spurs, it would be this OKC squad.

X-Factor: Spurs’ 3-point volume vs Thunder’s points off turnovers

As was outlined by Jeje in the series preview, the Spurs allowed much fewer turnovers against OKC compared to the Thunder’s season average, and that resulted in San Antonio scoring more points off TOs than OKC did. Essentially, the Spurs turned off the Thunder’s superpower, which was caused by a few factors. One, OKC’s perimeter defenders weren’t hounding San Antonio’s guards as much as they usually do, instead giving them more space. This is because the Spurs’ guards are the only ones in the league that can match the Thunder backcourt’s physicality and athleticism, so San Antonio could play bully ball and drive past the defense if they were pressed too hard. OKC also wanted to swarm Wemby more, and with none of the Spurs guards being elite shooters, the Thunder were comfortable giving them more space to operate on the perimeter.

Obviously, the drawback to that is the lack of turnovers created. Given the lack of success that this scheme had in the regular season, I expect OKC to go back to their usual aggressive defense, but that would result in more defensive rotations that opens up threes for their opponents. The Thunder have successfully lived with this trade-off for multiple seasons now, finishing tied for first in turnovers forced this past season (16.8%) but also conceding the 6th most threes (40.4% of opponent shots came from beyond the arc) and the most corners threes, too (12.4%). That latter number is especially important because the Spurs generated the most corner threes (12.9%) in the regular season, which increased to 13.8% with Wemby on the floor — one of the highest figures ever.

In other words, the Thunder can either play conservatively on defense and risk losing the turnover battle again, or they can go back to their usual scheme and live with the Spurs shooting threes. This will be the most important stylistic battle to monitor, and whoever comes out on top will have a massive advantage in the series.

After falling to the ninth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks now enter a very different section of the board than they were hoping for a few months ago. The top-end “future franchise centerpiece” tier is likely gone by the time Dallas picks, meaning the Mavericks now have to focus on identifying high-level complementary players who fit around Cooper Flagg long term. That shift makes Dailyn Swain one of the more fascinating names in the Mavericks’ range.

Swain’s breakout junior season at Texas was one of the best all-around wing seasons in college basketball. He became the first player in Texas history to win SEC Newcomer of the Year, earned Second-Team All-SEC honors, and finished as a finalist for the Julius Erving Award. More impressively, he became the only player in a major conference to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and minutes played. Swain averaged 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 54.2% from the field and 81.5% from the free throw line. He also helped lead Texas to the Sweet 16, where he finished with 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists in a narrow loss to Purdue.

The production is impressive, but the way Swain plays is what really stands out.

The good

Swain feels like one of the safest “winning basketball” bets at the end of the lottery or in the middle of the first round because of how many different ways he impacts the game. At 6-foot-6.5 and 211 pounds with a near 6-foot-10 wingspan, he already has NBA-ready size and physicality for a modern wing. He constantly pressures the rim, plays through contact, rebounds extremely well for his position, and thrives in transition.

The downhill pressure is probably the biggest selling point offensively. Swain consistently creates paint touches, collapses defenses, and forces rotations without needing isolations built around him every possession. He attacks closeouts quickly, pushes the ball after rebounds, and plays with a pace that keeps offenses moving. The advanced metrics back that up, too, as Swain graded near the very top nationally in rim pressure and rim assists among wings.

What makes him especially interesting next to Cooper Flagg is how connected his game feels. Swain does not need the ball for 15 seconds to impact a possession. He rebounds and initiates transition offense, makes quick reads, cuts hard, attacks gaps, and keeps the ball moving naturally. Those are the types of players that elevate lineups around stars rather than slowing them down.

Defensively, there is a lot to like, too. Swain generated steals at a strong rate, consistently disrupted actions without gambling himself out of possessions, and projects as a versatile multi-positional defender. Dallas badly lacked perimeter size, physicality, and point-of-attack resistance for much of last season, and Swain could help solve all three problems immediately.

The bad

Swain’s swing skill is clearly the jumper. While the free-throw percentage at 81.5% is encouraging long-term, the three-point shot itself still feels more functional than truly dangerous. Defenses will likely dare him to shoot early in his NBA career until he proves he can consistently punish teams from outside.

There are also questions about the ceiling of his half-court creation. Swain is extremely effective attacking advantages, but he is not someone you currently project to become a primary offensive engine. He thrives attacking downhill against bent defenses, but creating difficult offense against set NBA defenses remains more theoretical than proven.

That creates some archetype risk. Wings who rely heavily on physicality, transition scoring, and connective offense can sometimes become difficult to maximize if the jumper never fully develops. Dallas also already has several players who prefer to operate inside the arc, so long-term spacing around Flagg remains one of the most important questions the front office must answer.

Player comp

Swain’s game honestly resembles a blend of several different NBA wings. There are shades of Josh Hart and Jaime Jaquez Jr. because of the rebounding, toughness, downhill pressure, and constant activity he brings every night. Offensively, there are stylistic flashes of Gordon Hayward and Evan Turner in the secondary creation and connective playmaking from the wing position.

The higher-end outcome probably looks something like a more athletic version of Jaime Jaquez Jr., where the value comes from versatility, feel, physicality, and two-way impact rather than elite shot creation. Even if he never becomes a true offensive star, Swain feels like the type of wing playoff teams are constantly trying to find because of how naturally he contributes to winning basketball.

Fit with the Mavericks

Swain feels like one of the cleaner fits for what Dallas should be trying to build around Cooper Flagg moving forward. The Mavericks desperately need perimeter athleticism, rebounding, defensive versatility, and secondary playmaking after the roster looked so disjointed last season. Swain addresses all four areas almost immediately.

More importantly, his game complements Flagg naturally. He can defend multiple positions, attack closeouts, rebound, push in transition, and function as connective offensive tissue without requiring heavy usage. That matters on a team where Flagg is clearly going to become the primary offensive engine long term.

He also feels like exactly the kind of player Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz would gravitate toward. Swain checks almost every “winning basketball” box organizations prioritize: effort, feel, versatility, physicality, transition offense, and defensive flexibility. Even if the jumper never becomes elite, the baseline NBA role already feels very real.

And if Dallas is serious about building a tougher, longer, more defensive-minded roster around Cooper Flagg, Dailyn Swain feels like exactly the type of player the Mavericks should be paying close attention to throughout the pre-draft process.

Final Thoughts

Dailyn Swain may not have the flashy offensive upside of some of the guards projected near the top of this class, but he feels like one of the safer bets to become a meaningful NBA player. He already impacts games in multiple ways without needing high usage, and those types of players become incredibly valuable in playoff environments.

If Dallas is serious about building a tougher, more versatile, defensive-minded identity around Cooper Flagg moving forward, Swain feels like exactly the kind of player the Mavericks should be paying close attention to throughout the pre-draft process.