Jalen Green Phoenix Suns
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New Suns guard Jalen Green will miss Opening Night with a hamstring injury — a tough blow for Phoenix as his much-anticipated debut gets delayed.
The Phoenix Suns will start the season without one of their biggest offseason additions. Newly acquired guard Jalen Green won’t play in the Suns’ regular-season opener against the Sacramento Kings on October 22 after re-aggravating a left hamstring strain during the team’s preseason trip to China.
Head coach Jordan Ott confirmed the update earlier this week. The strain is considered minor, but the setback means Green will be reevaluated in about 10 days. Phoenix hopes to have him back later this month, but the team plans to move carefully to avoid another flare-up.
“Soft tissue injuries are hard to predict,” Ott said. “Thankfully, we caught it early—it’s not that serious—but he wants to be out there. New teammates, new system. There are other ways we’ll have to speed him up.”
The timing hurts. Green was expected to debut as a featured playmaker next to Devin Booker, giving the Suns a dynamic backcourt and a fresh identity after last season’s collapse.
A Frustrating Start to a Fresh Opportunity
The setback stings because Green’s arrival had generated major excitement. The 23-year-old joined Phoenix in a blockbuster June 2025 trade that sent Kevin Durant and Clint Capela to Houston in exchange for Green, Dillon Brooks, and multiple draft picks.
The trade signaled a shift in direction for both franchises. Houston wanted to chase a title around Durant, while Phoenix turned toward youth and long-term potential. Green became the centerpiece of that new approach.
He averaged 21 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists last season for the Rockets, but his role had started to shrink. In Phoenix, the Suns promised him more freedom to attack and create. His athleticism and scoring were seen as ideal complements to Booker’s smooth, methodical game.
Instead, the debut will have to wait. Green missed all four of the Suns’ preseason games and played only limited minutes during the international trip. It’s the first major injury of his career—he played all 82 games in each of his last two seasons with Houston.
Phoenix Playing the Long Game
Even with the delay, the Suns aren’t panicking. Ott and the medical staff are taking the long view, determined to protect one of the team’s most important players. Phoenix finished 11th in the Western Conference last year after its Booker-Durant-Beal trio collapsed before the playoffs.
Now, with Bradley Beal in Los Angeles and Durant in Houston, the Suns are rebuilding around a younger core. The new foundation—Booker, Green, and Brooks—was designed to bring speed, energy, and two-way intensity instead of superstar overload.
That plan just needs more time.
Phoenix opens the season at home against the Kings, then hits the road for four straight games. Green’s absence will give extra minutes to Grayson Allen, Eric Gordon, and Jordan Goodwin, but none match his burst or creativity.
The Suns hope Green returns before the end of October. Until then, they’ll keep emphasizing patience and preparation over panic.
“He wants to be out there,” Ott said. “But we’re thinking long-term. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Green’sPhoenix debut may be delayed, but his chance to redefine his career is only getting started.