The Phoenix Suns will start the season without one of their biggest offseason additions. Newly acquired guard Jalen Green wonât play in the Sunsâ regular-season opener against the Sacramento Kings on October 22 after re-aggravating a left hamstring strain during the teamâs preseason trip to China.
Head coach Jordan Ott confirmed the update earlier this week. The strain is considered minor, but the setback means Green will be reevaluated in about 10 days. Phoenix hopes to have him back later this month, but the team plans to move carefully to avoid another flare-up.
âSoft tissue injuries are hard to predict,â Ott said. âThankfully, we caught it earlyâitâs not that seriousâbut he wants to be out there. New teammates, new system. There are other ways weâll have to speed him up.â
The timing hurts. Green was expected to debut as a featured playmaker next to Devin Booker, giving the Suns a dynamic backcourt and a fresh identity after last seasonâs collapse.
A Frustrating Start to a Fresh Opportunity
The setback stings because Greenâs arrival had generated major excitement. The 23-year-old joined Phoenix in a blockbuster June 2025 trade that sent Kevin Durant and Clint Capela to Houston in exchange for Green, Dillon Brooks, and multiple draft picks.
The trade signaled a shift in direction for both franchises. Houston wanted to chase a title around Durant, while Phoenix turned toward youth and long-term potential. Green became the centerpiece of that new approach.
He averaged 21 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists last season for the Rockets, but his role had started to shrink. In Phoenix, the Suns promised him more freedom to attack and create. His athleticism and scoring were seen as ideal complements to Bookerâs smooth, methodical game.
Instead, the debut will have to wait. Green missed all four of the Sunsâ preseason games and played only limited minutes during the international trip. Itâs the first major injury of his careerâhe played all 82 games in each of his last two seasons with Houston.
Phoenix Playing the Long Game
Even with the delay, the Suns arenât panicking. Ott and the medical staff are taking the long view, determined to protect one of the teamâs most important players. Phoenix finished 11th in the Western Conference last year after its Booker-Durant-Beal trio collapsed before the playoffs.
Now, with Bradley Beal in Los Angeles and Durant in Houston, the Suns are rebuilding around a younger core. The new foundationâBooker, Green, and Brooksâwas designed to bring speed, energy, and two-way intensity instead of superstar overload.
That plan just needs more time.
Phoenix opens the season at home against the Kings, then hits the road for four straight games. Greenâs absence will give extra minutes to Grayson Allen, Eric Gordon, and Jordan Goodwin, but none match his burst or creativity.
The Suns hope Green returns before the end of October. Until then, theyâll keep emphasizing patience and preparation over panic.
âHe wants to be out there,â Ott said. âBut weâre thinking long-term. This is a marathon, not a sprint.â
Greenâs Phoenix debut may be delayed, but his chance to redefine his career is only getting started.
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