The Suns are giving Jordan Ott plenty to sort through in camp, and that’s the kind of problem a coach wants. Even with the Mark Williams injury in the mix, this looks like one of the deepest Phoenix rosters in recent memory. There are so many playable pieces that the real challenge isn’t finding bodies - it’s finding the right five-man combinations and the right minute splits.
That’s what makes these lineup ideas so interesting. Phoenix has enough size, shooting, athleticism, and defensive flexibility to go in a few different directions, and Ott has the rest of training camp and the preseason to figure out which looks actually stick.
The most obvious place to start is with a defense-first group built to create chaos: Devin Booker, Jordan Goodwin, Dillon Brooks, Rasheer Fleming, and Khaman Maluach. It’s a big lineup with real length and athleticism, but it still has enough offense to function because Booker and Brooks can carry some of the scoring load. If Fleming and Maluach both take the kind of leap this group needs, it could end up being the Suns’ best defensive unit.
The shape of that group makes sense on paper. Goodwin can pick up the ball at the point of attack, Booker can handle the tougher perimeter matchup, Brooks can bang with smaller wings and forwards, and Fleming can chase the bigger wing types.
Behind them, Maluach gives the whole thing a back-line safety net. Oso may have something to say about that, but either way… this team would cause chaos.
If the goal shifts from defense to spacing, the Suns have a different look ready to go. Collin Gillespie, Luke Kennard, Devin Booker, Jordan Goodwin, and Khaman Maluach would give Booker the cleanest shooting environment of the bunch. Gillespie and Kennard at the 1 and 2, Booker playing “up” as a wing, Goodwin at the 4, and Maluach anchoring the middle creates a group that can stretch the floor in a hurry.
That one could show up in spurts, especially if Phoenix wants to maximize shooting around Booker. The downside is obvious: there are real defensive questions there. But in terms of pure floor spacing, it may be their best shooting combination.
There’s also a younger, more athletic version of that idea: Collin Gillespie, Luke Kennard, Rasheer Fleming, Koa Peat, and Khaman Maluach. This is the kind of lineup that surrounds the two best shooters and smaller guards with three explosive athletes. It might not be something the Suns use often, but it has the feel of a late-game group, the kind that gets tossed out there when the outcome is basically settled but there’s still enough time left that it’s not quite garbage time.
Balance is another path, and it might be the most natural one. Devin Booker, Luke Kennard, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, and Oso Ighodaro gives Phoenix scoring, shooting, size, and enough playmaking to keep the offense moving. Oso can handle some point-center duties while Booker remains the primary ball-handler, which gives the group a little more structure.
That could also be one of the first sub units we see, or it could be Collin Gillespie stepping in for Green’s spot depending on whether the Suns want more floor spacing or more playmaking.
Then there’s the wild card: Jalen Green, Miles Bridges, Koa Peat, Rasheer Fleming, and Khaman Maluach. There is a very realistic chance this lineup never appears next season at all.
Miles Bridges at the 2? Why not.
Let’s get weird. It’s a requirement to throw at least one curveball your way in these pieces.
One thing that stood out while sorting through all this: there just wasn’t room for everyone. Pat Spencer was tough to fit in.
With Booker and Green in the backcourt and Gillespie, Kennard, and Goodwin all in the mix off the bench, the path gets crowded fast. Ryan Dunn also got left out because of the pull toward Fleming and Peat.
In Other News...
Dillon Brooks Is Already Bringing Something The Suns Need
Phoenixs training camp opened with Dillon Brooks already leaning into one of the quieter parts of his new job: helping set the tone for a roster that still has some young voices finding their place. Brooks singled out rookie Koa Peat as a player he plans to mentor this season, a notable detail for a veteran whose edge is usually the first thing people notice. In this case, the Suns are getting more than physicality and scoring punch from him. They are also getting a player willing to take an active role in shaping the locker room.
Brooks described Peat as shy and wants to help him grow into a more vocal, confident presence around the team. For Phoenix, that matters as much as anything he does on the floor, because building chemistry with younger players has to be part of the work from the start of camp. The early signs suggest Brooks understands that, and the Suns will be watching to see how that mentor relationship develops as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Miles Bridges Could Unlock A Suns Lineup They Desperately Need
Miles Bridges has already given the Suns something worth thinking about beyond the usual rotation chatter. His interest in teaming with Dillon Brooks on the defensive end, and even handling some small-ball center duty, opens the door to lineup ideas that could give Phoenix a different kind of edge. For a team looking for more versatility, that kind of two-way flexibility is the sort of wrinkle that can change how a roster fits together.
Bridges defensive growth may be the real swing factor here, because the Suns do not just need another scorer, they need combinations that can hold up when the game tightens. If he can take another step on that side of the floor, Phoenix could have more options for pairing him with Brooks and exploring smaller, more aggressive looks. The intrigue is less about one player alone and more about whether his defense can help unlock a lineup the Suns have been trying to find. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Green Is Suddenly Squeezing One Suns Roster Hope
The Suns brought Kennedy Chandler into camp on a training camp deal, giving themselves another look at a crowded backcourt battle, but the picture has changed quickly thanks to Jalen Green's rise. Green has looked more comfortable handling the ball and running the offense, which matters in Phoenix because the team wants a reliable partner next to Devin Booker and is sorting through a group that also includes Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, Jamaree Bouyea and Pat Spencer.
For Chandler, the path has gotten steeper because the Suns are not just evaluating guards in a vacuum, they are also trying to map out how the rotation fits around Khaman Maluach, who is expected to have a meaningful role. The added wrinkle is whether any reserve guard can carve out a niche beyond simply surviving camp, and right now Green's growth is making that a tougher sell for everyone else in the room. [Read more 🡒]