The Phoenix Suns may still be waiting on Luke Kennard when they tip off their home opener Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors.
Phoenix listed the guard as questionable on its latest injury report Saturday afternoon because of left knee tendinopathy. Kennard sat out Wednesday’s season-opening 124-83 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, and another absence would keep one of the Suns’ top perimeter shooters sidelined for a second straight game.
The Suns brought Kennard in during the offseason to give Devin Booker more offensive help and boost the team’s three-point shooting. He arrives after splitting the 2025-26 season between the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers, putting up 8.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 47.8% from 3-point range in 78 games.
His work in Atlanta included averages of 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists with a 49.7% mark from deep over 46 games. After landing in Los Angeles, he posted 9.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 44.8% from beyond the arc in 32 appearances.
Kennard is one of three Suns on Saturday’s report. Center Mark Williams is out as he continues recovering from left shoulder surgery, and forward Oso Ighodaro is doubtful with a right oblique strain.
Those injuries add another layer of difficulty for second-year head coach Jordan Ott, who is trying to get Phoenix moving in the right direction against a Warriors team that also enters the night looking for its first win after an 0-2 start.
Phoenix hosts Golden State on Saturday at 7 p.m. PT on NBA TV.
In Other News...
Suns Are Rethinking Two-Way Spots For A Reason Fans Will Notice
The Suns have quietly changed the way they are filling out their two-way spots, and the new direction is easy to spot. Instead of treating those openings strictly as long-term development projects, Phoenix has waived younger prospects and brought in more seasoned names such as Jamaree Bouyea, Pat Spencer, Duop Reath and Drew Timme, a clear sign the team wants a different kind of insurance behind its main roster.
For fans, the shift says plenty about how the organization is viewing the margins of the roster right now. Two-way deals have always been about flexibility, but Phoenix is showing a willingness to prioritize players who can step in and help sooner if called upon, rather than waiting on upside alone. It is a subtle move, but one that suggests the Suns are adjusting their priorities with an eye toward immediate usefulness. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Are Quietly Sending A Clear Message With Latest Roster Moves
The Suns have been busy shaping the edges of their roster, and the latest moves fit the front offices recent pattern of trying to keep options open without sacrificing the long view. Phoenix extended Oso Ighodaro on a three-year, $29 million deal that does not kick in until the 2028-29 season, a structure that helps the team preserve financial flexibility over the next two seasons while still signaling belief in the young big man.
Phoenix also kept turning over the back end of the roster, waiving Haywood Highsmith and reshuffling its two-way spots by releasing Koby Brea and C.J. Huntley while bringing in Drew Timme and Duop Reath. It is the kind of quiet roster management that can get overlooked in the rush toward the NBA season, but for a team trying to optimize every spot, these are the decisions that can shape both the present rotation and the longer-term plan. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Face More Frontcourt Pressure Ahead Of Warriors Clash
The Suns will have to adjust again in the frontcourt when they face the Warriors, with Oso Ighodaro officially ruled out after being listed as doubtful earlier in the day. The injury update leaves Phoenix thinner inside than it would like, especially with Mark Williams still sidelined while recovering from shoulder surgery and Luke Kennard listed as questionable.
Khaman Maluach is expected to start at center in Ighodaros place, giving the rookie another chance to handle a bigger workload in a meaningful spot. For a Suns team already trying to piece together its rotation, the timing adds another layer of pressure against a Warriors group that can make life difficult on the interior even before the game starts. [Read more 🡒]