Jalen Green’s time in Phoenix has not gone the way anyone expected, and now his trade value looks as shaky as it’s been all season.
The Suns have at least steadied themselves a bit during a softer stretch of the schedule, moving to 5-6. They still don’t look like the same tough, defensive-minded group they were last season, but Devin Booker has been carrying a huge load and delivering big production.
That backdrop matters because the latest Dejounte Murray rumors have only sharpened the conversation around Green. With talk that Murray wants out of the New Orleans Pelicans, plenty of fans would happily send Green to the airport if it meant getting a deal done.
Green was supposed to be the headline piece in the trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. Instead, Dillon Brooks has become the player who filled that role. Khaman Maluach is still developing, but at a position the franchise clearly needs help at, while Green has ended up as the least effective of the players the Suns brought in.
That isn’t all on him. The fit next to Booker was always going to be awkward, and Green has tried this season to become more of a playmaker when he’s on the floor. Even so, the idea of flipping him for a 30-year-old former All-Star with obvious offensive limitations and a noisy social media trail says plenty about how far Green’s stock has dropped.
An eventful season on this website for Dejounte Murray so far. It has only been these two deleted tweets and two RTs (that include his own trade request!). pic.twitter.com/SkYsPuU2RW
- Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) November 13, 2026
For Green, New Orleans could be the kind of reset that brings out what he does best. He’d get the chance to pile up points for a team with no championship expectations, and he’d be playing next to a real point guard in Jeremiah Fears. From Phoenix’s side, a Murray-Booker backcourt makes more sense on paper because it would let Booker stop having to organize everyone else every night.
There’s no guarantee Murray would thrive in Phoenix. But the Suns still should consider making the move, because they already got their culture-changing piece in Brooks and Maluach still has time to develop. Murray isn’t likely to transform the defense, but he is a better option than Green.
The Suns’ need for a true point guard has only become more urgent with Collin Gillespie struggling badly so far this season. New Orleans might also push for Jordan Goodwin as a veteran floor general in the deal, and Phoenix would have to weigh that too. However it shakes out, Green’s exit feels overdue, and the fact that Murray is the answer - and roughly matches Green’s value - says a lot about where things stand.
In Other News...
Suns Could Catch A Break With One Key Lakers Supporter
The Lakers are still sorting through a few injury questions ahead of their matchup with the Suns, but the biggest name on the report appears headed in the right direction. Luka Doncic is expected to be available after turning his ankle in a recent win, while Austin Reaves remains day-to-day with a heel injury and the team has opted against additional imaging.
There are other moving parts as well, with Collin Sexton day-to-day after a collision that required stitches and Quentin Grimes showing progress from a finger sprain. For Phoenix, the broader picture is simple enough: any uncertainty around the Lakers rotation matters, especially when a key contributor like Reaves is still being monitored and the status of the supporting cast remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Early Surge Cant Hide One Growing Lineup Problem
The Suns have steadied themselves after a rough opening, winning four of their last five and nudging back toward respectability at 5-6. There have been signs of progress under Jordan Ott, especially on the defensive end, where the group has looked sharper than it did early on, even as rebounding and overall cohesion still lag behind the better teams in the West.
But the early surge has not erased the bigger lineup question hovering over Phoenix. The fit of Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges remains a work in progress, and Greens uneven play has only added to the scrutiny as trade chatter continues to follow him. The Suns may be improving, but the challenge now is turning short-term momentum into something more stable before the rotation questions become impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Have An Early Problem That Could Limit This Roster
The early returns in Phoenix have been uneven, and not just because of the 5-6 start or the difficult schedule that has already tested this roster. The Suns are still trying to sort out how new pieces like Jalen Green and Miles Bridges fit alongside the rest of the group, but the bigger concern may be more basic than chemistry: this team is still struggling to establish itself inside the paint.
That shows up in the places that usually tell the truest story over a long season. Phoenix is not generating enough quality looks near the basket, and it is getting pushed around on the glass, which leaves the Suns vulnerable to extra possessions on one end and short on them at the other. For a team built to contend, that kind of interior imbalance can become a limiting factor fast if it does not change. [Read more 🡒]