The Phoenix Suns will have to open against the Portland Trail Blazers without Luke Kennard.
Jordan Ott said Kennard is out because of a knee issue, and the guard had already been listed as questionable with Left Knee Tendinopathy entering the night. Phoenix’s initial injury report also had Drew Timme, on a two-way deal, and Mark Williams sidelined with shoulder trouble.
Kennard’s knee problem showed up last week against the Chicago Bulls, and he sat out the Suns’ preseason finale on Saturday. That left some uncertainty earlier in the week, even after Ott sounded optimistic about the possibility of getting him back in the mix.
“He did more today, for sure, in practice," Ott said Monday (h/t The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin).
"This was kind of a test day to see exactly where he's at. Tomorrow will be a lower day. Try to be right for Wednesday.”
With Kennard unavailable, Phoenix will lean more heavily on Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Jamaree Bouyea off the bench.
The Suns brought Kennard in for more than just his shooting, even though that part of his game is elite. He led the entire NBA by hitting 47.8% from deep last season, a number that becomes even more important for Phoenix now that Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale are no longer on the roster. The Suns are counting on someone to help preserve the team’s top-five shooting performance, and Kennard is a big piece of that plan when he’s on the floor.
Ott has also been quick to point out the other part of Kennard’s game that caught the team’s attention: his ability to make plays for others.
"(Kennard's) shown playmaking before in his career. Definitely last year at the end of last season, kind of sticks out in everyone's mind.
But he's a really good basketball player. We're lucky to have him," he said during preseason play.
Phoenix enters the season otherwise healthy and set for a second year under Ott. After a 45-win season and a trip to the postseason, the Suns are looking to take another step in 2026-27.
In Other News...
Bookers Rough Suns Opener Already Has Fans Fired Up
The Suns did not get the kind of opening night they wanted, with Portland jumping out to a big lead after the first quarter and the early tone of the game turning chippy fast. Devin Booker was right in the middle of it, and so was Ja Morant, whose first game with the Trail Blazers after the trade from Memphis brought plenty of extra attention to a matchup that already had a lot riding on it for Phoenix.
What followed was less about rhythm and more about edge, with multiple on-court confrontations between Booker and Morant that included a physical brush and verbal back-and-forths. The situation escalated enough to bring double technical fouls, and for Suns fans trying to size up what this team looks like in a new season, the night already carried the kind of tension that can linger long after the final buzzer. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Fans Already Have A Brutal New Reason To Hate This Trade
The first night of the season did not give Suns fans much reason for optimism, and Miles Bridges only added to the unease. Acquired in a trade that cost Phoenix an unprotected first-round pick, he managed just eight points on rough shooting in the opening loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, a debut that landed far short of what the team needed from him right away.
For a franchise already under pressure to prove its roster can hold together, the problem is bigger than one bad box score. The deal not only put more attention on how the Suns are building around the current core, it also tied a valuable future draft asset to a performance that left plenty of questions hanging early. [Read more 🡒]
Suns May Be Better But The West Just Got Tougher
The Suns head into the new season with a familiar core and a few additions that should help on both ends of the floor, which gives them a reasonable case for being better than they were a year ago. Continuity matters in the NBA, especially for a team trying to stack wins in a conference where every edge can matter, and Phoenix is banking on its returning pieces settling in quickly.
The problem is the rest of the West did not sit still. Several rivals made major moves, and others are getting key players back from injury, which means the path for Phoenix could be steeper even if the roster itself is improved. For a team with bigger ambitions, the question is not only whether the Suns got better, but whether that will be enough in a conference that suddenly feels even more crowded. [Read more 🡒]