The Phoenix Suns are keeping Jamaree Bouyea around for another season, picking up his $2.6 million team option for the 2026-2027 NBA campaign, according to NBA insider Mike Scotto.
Phoenix had until later today to make the call and got it done just hours before the deadline. Bouyea’s path to this point has been a fast climb: the Suns signed him to a two-way deal about a month into the 2025-2026 season, then converted him to a standard contract in March after he stood out while Jalen Green and other guards were dealing with injuries.
It was a breakout year for Bouyea, who posted career-best numbers while appearing in 46 games. He averaged 5.7 points and shot 45.8% from the field, and his biggest night came in the regular-season finale against the Oklahoma City Thunder, when he poured in 27 points and dished nine assists. He also appeared in all four playoff games against Oklahoma City, though he logged more than 52 seconds in only one of them.
For Bouyea, the option means some rare stability. He’s spent the early part of his career bouncing around the league, and last season he played the most games of his career. He is now set to play on the same team in back-to-back seasons for the first time.
With Bouyea’s spot settled, attention now shifts to Haywood Highsmith. Phoenix brought in the forward during the season on a two-year deal that becomes fully guaranteed on January 10, according to Spotrac. The Suns signed him as insurance in case they lost Royce O’Neale or other forwards in the offseason, and that plan is now being tested after O’Neale and Grayson Allen were shipped to Charlotte following the team’s acquisition of Miles Bridges.
For now, though, Bouyea is staying put. NBA free agency begins in less than 24 hours at 3:00 p.m. Phoenix time.
In Other News...
Miles Bridges Arrival Could Set Up The Suns Move Fans Want
Miles Bridges arrival gives Phoenix a little more breathing room on the roster, and that matters because the Suns have been operating with a very specific kind of opportunity in mind. Any opening created now only adds more oxygen to the speculation around what this team wants to do next, especially with Devin Booker still sitting at the center of the roster picture and the front office continuing to look for ways to reshape the guard rotation.
For fans, the obvious temptation is to connect every new move to a bigger upgrade at point guard, but the landscape is not as clean as it looks. Some names are suddenly back in play because of the opening, while other popular ideas have already been cooled off, leaving Phoenix with a handful of different paths and no clear public answer yet on which one it intends to follow. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Just Made Their Backcourt Priorities A Lot More Clear
With the offseason market still churning around the league, Phoenix appears to have a better sense of where it wants to spend its energy. The Suns are trying to extend Miles Bridges after bringing him in from Charlotte, and they are also weighing several shooting guards in free agency as they look to steady a backcourt that could use more certainty.
The bigger takeaway is how sharply the club seems to be drawing its line. While other teams are being linked to major trade possibilities involving names like Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard and Khris Middleton, Phoenix is leaning toward a more measured approach with its own roster construction. For a team trying to balance star power with fit, that kind of clarity can matter just as much as the splashiest rumor. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Search For Another Guard Just Took On More Urgency
The Suns guard search became a little more pressing after a busy stretch of roster work left Phoenix with an opening to fill. With several players re-signed and Miles Bridges brought in via trade, the front office now has room to add another backcourt piece, and the timing lines up with a clear need to shore up depth around the perimeter.
Arizona Sports John Gambadoro reported that Phoenix is expected to use its taxpayer mid-level exception to chase a fourth guard in free agency, giving the team a workable path to do it without overextending. The list of possible fits spans different skill sets, from shooting and secondary scoring to defense and familiarity with the roster, which is why this remains one of the more interesting items on the Suns summer board. [Read more 🡒]