Devin Booker is headed into the 2026-27 season looking different, but not feeling different.
The Phoenix Suns star is trading in his longtime No. 1 for No. 15, a switch that ties back to both USA Basketball and his father, Melvin Booker. Devin has already worn No. 15 while winning two gold medals with Team USA, and his dad wore it during his four years at Missouri, where he earned second-team All-America honors as a senior.
Booker doesn’t sound like he expects the change to alter much beyond the number on the front and back of his jersey. The player Suns fans have known is still the same one, just in a new look.
That doesn’t mean the move is meaningless. There’s clearly some personal weight attached to it, and Booker says the number feels familiar in a way that matters to him.
"I just feel like where it all started, it's not a foreign number to me. Even walking around downstairs at one saying it's gonna take some time to get used to.
When I look in the mirror, the first pictures I've seen of me wearing it, I feel back at home. It feels like where it first started," Booker said during the Suns' media day about his new number.
On the court, the Suns are getting the same Booker who delivered a big season in 2025-26. He appeared in 64 games and put up 26.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and six assists per night, leading Phoenix through a surprising run to the postseason.
Now he’s stepping into the next chapter with a new number and, by his own account, a renewed feeling. Booker has already built a strong career, but the switch to No. 15 seems to represent more than a cosmetic change. It marks a fresh stretch for a player still chasing more.
If Booker carries that comfort into the 2026-27 season, Phoenix could be dangerous again. With him healthy and locked in, the Suns have a chance to catch the league off guard once more.
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Booker has already been supportive of Maluachs development, and the Suns appear willing to bet on the young big man in a larger role if he can handle it. The question now is whether Maluach can absorb everything that comes with starting on a team trying to win right away, because Phoenix does not have much margin for error if he is not ready. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Should Avoid One Backcourt Mistake Around Devin Booker
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Rob Dillingham has been floated as a possible answer in some circles, but the more practical path for Phoenix appears to be staying with the guards already in the building and avoiding a move that does not clearly raise the level of the group. Jordan Goodwin fits that conversation better, while Collin Gillespie remains part of the backup mix, and the Suns can only benefit if the next decision is about clarity rather than chasing another name that complicates the rotation. [Read more 🡒]