The Suns are 0-1 after an 83-124 loss in Portland, and on Oct. 24 they host a Warriors team playing its second night in a row. Three games in seven days will show whether Booker's $57.1M is getting enough help.
Saturday at home. Golden State visits Oct. 24 on NBA TV. Phoenix has had two full days off since Portland. The Warriors arrive with zero rest, on the road the night after playing. Both teams are 0-1. This is the game that matters most this week: a tired, thin opponent in Phoenix, and a rematch comes Nov. 2.
Warriors running thin. Golden State lists Jimmy Butler III (right knee), Moses Moody (left knee) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness) as out. Brandin Podziemski (back) and Charles Bassey (knee) are uncertain. That leaves the load on Stephen Curry, who put up 26.6 points a night last season, and Draymond Green, who handed out 5.5 assists.
Phoenix's own list. Luke Kennard (left knee) and Oso Ighodaro (right hip) both carry Oct. 24 as their expected return. Mark Williams remains out with a left shoulder problem and isn't expected back until Feb. 3, 2027. Ighodaro just signed a three-year, $29 million extension, so the hip matters for more than one night.
Heat check on the stars. Booker had 23 in Portland, and Bright Side of the Sun noted he did not attempt a three. With a teammate out over the last three games, Dillon Brooks has averaged 39 minutes and 28.7 points, and Jalen Green has picked up 13 extra minutes a night. The scoring shows up. A 41-point loss says the rest of the rotation did not.
What the bill buys. Phoenix is paying $213.8M in salary, above the first apron and well past the $200.4M tax line. Booker, Green ($36.3M), Miles Bridges ($22.8M) and Brooks ($20.0M) make up most of it. Valley of the Suns wrote that the Bridges contract already has Phoenix in a bind, one game in.
Monday in Oklahoma City. The Suns visit the Thunder Oct. 26, two days after the Warriors, with no back-to-back on the week's schedule. Power rankings dropped Phoenix from 15th to 29th in seven days, and the team sits 14th in the West. A road night in Oklahoma City is the first real test of whether that drop is fair.
Denver in the Cup. The Nuggets come to Phoenix Oct. 30 for an Emirates NBA Cup game. Phoenix swept Denver in 2021, and Denver knocked the Suns out in 2023. With Durant and Beal gone, this game shows how far the retooled roster is from a contender.
When do the Suns play the Warriors?
Phoenix hosts Golden State on Oct. 24 on NBA TV. The teams meet again at Golden State on Nov. 2.
Will Luke Kennard and Oso Ighodaro play against the Warriors?
Both have Oct. 24 as their expected return, Kennard from a left knee issue and Ighodaro from a right hip issue. Neither has been cleared yet.
