The Phoenix Suns have been playing without their star guard, Devin Booker.
During a February 19 outing against the San Antonio Spurs, Booker went down with what was diagnosed as a right hip strain.
Initially, the Suns made it clear he would miss multiple games. Now, the team is looking at a possible return as early as next week.
Phoenix Suns Have Positive Devin Booker Injury Update
GettyDevin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns looks to drive against the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter at State Farm Arena on January 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Booker is progressing well from his strain, according to Suns reporter John Gambadoro.
The star guard is trending towards coming back after the Suns’ upcoming break. According to Gambadoro, the return of Booker could be next Tuesday against the Sacramento Kings, or the Thursday night matchup against the Chicago Bulls.
No matter what date the Suns decide on, Booker is trending towards returning, which is a great sign for a thriving Phoenix team.
When Booker missed the Suns’ February 21 matchup against the Orlando Magic, the game required double-overtime to settle the score. The Suns ended up on the right end of the scoreboard, collecting a 113-110 win.
Over the next three games, the Suns went 1-2. They suffered a 92-77 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers, followed by a 97-81 loss against the Boston Celtics.
When the Suns hosted the Los Angeles Lakers on February 26, they came away with the win. Despite missing Booker, the Suns pulled off another 113-110 win. With that victory, the Suns advanced to 34-26 on the year.
Suns Can Finish Out Strong
GettyDevin Booker is expected to return very soon.
After trading away the superstar Kevin Durant and cutting ties with an All-Star guard in Bradley Beal, nobody knew what to expect from Phoenix in 2025-2026.
Since Booker has arrived in Arizona, he’s been a star-caliber player. However, the Suns had a rough go-round throughout his first few seasons, whether he was thriving or not.
The Suns made the playoffs during the Booker era for the first time in 2020. They were frequent postseason contenders for four years in a row. The Suns missed the postseason during the 2024-2025 season, which led to the roster shakeup over the summer.
While the NBA world expected a struggling Suns team, Phoenix looks like they are trending towards making a return to the playoffs with the stellar leadership of Booker.
In 44 games this year, Booker has averaged 24.7 points, while shooting 45% from the field and 30% from three. Along with his scoring, Booker has posted averages of 6.1 assists per game and is coming down with 3.9 rebounds per game. Injuries have affected Booker throughout stretches this year, but he hasn’t dealt with anything long-term.
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While the Suns’ hope is that Booker can return to the court as soon as Tuesday, there is a chance he might be out of the mix for a little while longer. He’ll return to the team with an opportunity to keep them fighting for the sixth and final guaranteed spot in the Western Conference playoff picture, avoiding the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Currently, the Lakers hold that position with a 34-24 record. They are just one game in front of the Suns after Thursday’s loss.
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