Suns Notes: Booker, Williams, Maluach, Huntley
Suns guard Devin Booker can’t miss more than one game the rest of the season if he hopes to be eligible for major postseason awards like All-NBA, but he says he’s not worried about the 65-game rule, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (subscriber link).
“That is what it is,” Booker said on Tuesday. “The postseason award I want is playoff wins en route to get an NBA championship. Anything else doesn’t matter.”
Booker is actually a proponent of the rule, Rankin writes, though the four-time All-Star does see one issue with it.
“The fans want people to play,” Booker said. “We should play. You should have to play to get the awards. So I don’t see a problem with it other than guys trying to rush back and maybe prolong the injury from what it was supposed to be, but I think the rule is fine. You want to be able to play, to be out there.”
Here’s more from Phoenix:
- Starting center Mark Williams is out at least two-to-three weeks after being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left foot. The Suns were surprised to learn of the injury, Rankin writes in another subscriber-only story. “It just popped up,” head coach Jordan Ott said. “(Wednesday) when he came in, day in between games, just had a little soreness. Went to have an image and you saw the news. … There wasn’t a moment where you can see visibly that this is the result of.”
- Speaking to reporters prior to Thursday’s game against Chicago, reserve center Khaman Maluach discussed getting an opportunity to play with Williams sidelined (Twitter video links via Rankin). The former Duke big man also talked about his limited minutes as a rookie. “I didn’t put it on anybody or blame anyone for me not playing,” Maluach said. “I just put it on me and just doubled down and worked twice as hard as what I was doing in the summer and just wait for my turn and wait for my time and really be patient.”
- Forward CJ Huntley signed another two-way contract with Phoenix on Monday after being waived in November. He said he’s grateful for the opportunity after spending the majority of his rookie campaign in the G League with the Valley Suns. “It means a lot. Just been working hard just to be back in this situation,” Huntley said, per Rankin (Twitter video link). “Just put my head down in the (G League), being there for my teammates there, working each and every day. I feel like that helped me get to where I’m at now.”
Mark Williams Out At Least 2-3 Weeks Due To Foot Injury
Starting center Mark Williams has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in the third metatarsal bone in his left foot, the Suns announced in a press release (Twitter link via Law Murray of The Athletic).
Williams, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, will be reevaluated in two-to-three weeks, per the team.
It’s unclear when Williams’ injury occurred. He played 22 minutes in Tuesday’s 11-point victory at Sacramento at Sacramento.
After two college seasons at Duke, Williams was selected by the Hornets with the 15th overall pick in the 2022 draft. The 7’1″ big man struggled with injuries over the course of his three years in Charlotte, appearing in just 106 games, prior to being traded to Phoenix last offseason.
The Suns developed a plan to help Williams stay on the court and it had worked well to this point in the season. The 24-year-old has appeared in a career-high 56 games in 2025/26, only missing five contests with the Suns currently sitting at 35-26.
However, Williams’ stress reaction will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future. While he’ll be checked out again in a few weeks, there’s certainly no guarantee that he’ll be ready to return at that point — it will be difficult for Williams to stay in game shape given that he has a foot injury.
Phoenix plays nine times between March 5 and March 19, and Williams is likely to miss all of those games. A three-week absence would result in Williams missing 12 games.
In his 56 appearances this season, Williams has averaged 11.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks in 23.6 minutes per game. He’s shooting 63.3% from the floor and 76.7% from the foul line.
Backup center Oso Ighodaro will likely replace Williams in Phoenix’s starting lineup, with rookies Rasheer Fleming and Khaman Maluach among the candidates for more minutes off the bench.
Pacific Notes: Garland, Leonard, Kleber, Thiero, Bouyea
Darius Garland made his long-awaited Clippers debut on Monday. The former Cleveland guard, the centerpiece of the deal for Los Angeles in the trade that sent James Harden to the Cavs, had 12 points, two rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes in a win over Golden State. Garland hadn’t played since January 14 due to a toe injury.
“Just getting adjusted,” Garland said, per The Athletic’s Law Murray. “Getting adjusted to L.A., getting to know the guys. Getting to know the staff, everybody around the organization, and just trying to get back to me. Getting healthy — training staff been with me a lot and doing a lot of work. So I really appreciate them, just getting me back to this point. Yeah, man, it’s good getting out there with the guys for sure. Especially getting a win, my first win with the Clips. It’s a blessing.”
Kawhi Leonard is looking forward to developing chemistry with Garland.
“Number one, just competitive nature,” Leonard said of what Garland brings to the Clippers’ point guard spot. “But every situation is different. So from Darius, we’re looking at him to get us involved, get him some shots. Pushing the pace in transition for us. And just getting everybody involved and calling sets so we’re not stagnant at times. So I think he’s able to do that. He’s an All-Star player. Just looking forward to playing more basketball with him. More minutes, as he ramps up to playing 30-plus minutes per game.”
Garland will make his home debut against the Pacers on Wednesday. Coach Tyronn Lue said he’ll come off the bench until he’s able to play more minutes, Murray tweets.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Maxi Kleber, an unrestricted free agent after the season, has made steady contributions in recent games for the Lakers. He had four points and three blocks in 13 minutes against Golden State on Saturday and six points and six rebounds against Sacramento. “He does everything right, man,” guard Marcus Smart told the California Post’s Khobi Price. “And he’s such a good person. He wants to see everybody win, even though he’s not winning in certain circumstances of not getting playing time as much as he would like, probably. Not getting the ball as much as he would like. But he doesn’t let that deter him from cheering on his teammates and being there for his teammates. And then when he does get in and his opportunity comes, taking full advantage of it.”
- After missing over a month of action with a knee sprain, Lakers second-round rookie Adou Thiero has shown promise at the G League level. Playing for the South Bay Lakers, Thiero posted a combined 33 points and 14 rebounds in back-to-back games late last month. Elevated to the Lakers over the weekend, Thiero had three points, a rebound and assist in four minutes against Sacramento. “I’m just going out there, keep getting comfortable with the game, the pace, just trying to work on things that I need to develop and be better at,” Thiero told Benjamin Royer of the Orange County Register. “Just trying to get 1% better every day, just keeping that mindset and just knowing that, … there’s a bigger picture. So just making sure I’m ready for that day, when that day comes.”
- Jamaree Bouyea had his contract converted from a two-way deal to a standard one by the Suns. However, the undrafted player can’t get too comfortable, according to his coach. “Earned it, got it,”Jordan Ott said, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “Now we’ll see where it goes. Work left to do, but what he has brought to our group has definitely been beneficial.”
Injury Notes: Booker, Highsmith, Zion, Jovic, Warriors
The Suns, who went just 4-7 in February as they dealt with injuries affecting multiple starters and rotation players, will get some reinforcements on Tuesday in Sacramento.
As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays (via Twitter), star guard Devin Booker is no longer listed on Phoenix’s injury report after missing the past four games due to a right hip strain. While the Suns split those four games without Booker available, they were clearly missing their leading scorer, having ranked 29th in the NBA in offensive rating during that stretch.
Recently signed swingman Haywood Highsmith also isn’t included on the Suns’ latest injury report, Rankin notes, which suggests he should be ready to make his season debut. Highsmith underwent surgery to address a torn meniscus in his right knee last August and experienced a setback in his rehab in October. He was traded from Miami to Brooklyn last offseason, was waived by the Nets last month, and signed with the Suns as he ramped up to return to action.
Two of Phoenix’s top wing defenders – Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture) and Jordan Goodwin (left calf strain) – remain out, so Highsmith should get a shot to earn rotation minutes now that he’s healthy.
We have more health-related updates from around the NBA:
- Pelicans forward Zion Williamson sat out on Sunday due to an ankle sprain, ending his career-high streak of 35 consecutive games played, but he’s listed as questionable to play on Tuesday vs. the Lakers and told Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter video link) he expects to suit up. Williamson will be motivated to appear in at least 16 of New Orleans’ final 20 games this season, since doing so would ensure he locks in at least 80% of his $42.2MM salary for 2026/27 (the remaining 20% could become guaranteed if he meets weight-related benchmarks).
- Heat forward/center Nikola Jovic will miss a fifth consecutive game on Tuesday due to a lower back injury, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Jovic says he doesn’t have any disk issues and doesn’t think the ailment is related to the stress reaction in his back that sidelined him for a significant portion of the 2022/23 season, but he admitted he’s struggling with the injury. “My back doesn’t feel good,” Jovic said. “The scan shows I got some inflammation, and one of my nerves doesn’t look great right now.”
- Warriors wing Moses Moody, who didn’t play in the fourth quarter of the team’s loss to the Clippers on Monday, jammed his wrist and injured his shoulder, according to head coach Steve Kerr, who said Moody will be evaluated further on Tuesday (Twitter link via Nick Friedell of ESPN).
- Kristaps Porzingis missed a fifth straight game with an illness on Monday and it’s unclear when the Warriors big man will return to action, Friedell writes for The Athletic. “It’s a little mysterious,” Kerr said of Porzingis’ illness. “We’re obviously working with him, and he can get some clarity, and he can kind of break through, and he can get to a point where he’s consistently healthy, but that’s something that the medical staff is working hard on with him. I’m not going to posit any medical theories anymore.”
Suns Notes: Booker, Goodwin, Green, Williams, Brooks
Suns star Devin Booker was able to do 5-on-5 work in Sunday’s practice, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The 29-year-old shooting guard has missed Phoenix’s last four games due to a right hip strain.
“He knows his body better than anyone,” head coach Jordan Ott said. “He’s been through these processes. Incredible recovery. So, he knows how he’s supposed to feel. How he’s supposed to feel when he plays.”
Ott also provided an injury update on Jordan Goodwin, Rankin adds. The backup guard is dealing with a left calf strain and is expected to be reevaluated within the next week.
“He’s just now ramping up,” Ott said. “He is on the court. He was on the court today. Book is further along than Goodie, but he is starting to progress onto the court.”
Here’s more from Phoenix:
- Jalen Green has been in a major shooting slump over his last four games, Rankin writes, averaging 12.8 points while shooting just 21-of-75 (28.0%) from the field over that span. Ott cited Green’s conditioning as one factor in his struggles — he missed most of the season after repeatedly straining his right hamstring. “He knows he’s a little out of rhythm, but it’s good just to get him out there,” Ott said. “It’s like the consistent number of games I think is good. I think the four-day break for him too, just his body. Now he’s played in those games, five games after the All-Star break. He’s a little sore from it and that’s normal. Just going through all the normal basketball things that you take for granted when you start the season. Now he’s doing it 50 games in.”
- Starting center Mark Williams, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, has also been in a rut of late, Rankin notes. Williams is averaging 6.3 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 39.5% from the floor over his past six contests (18.8 minutes per game), well below his season-long rates (11.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 63.5% from the field). The Suns think Booker will help both Green and Williams when he returns. “Book helps make all of our lives better,” Ott said. “Not just those two.”
- Jason Quick of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at how Booker and Dillon Brooks became friends over the offseason after the latter was traded from Houston to Phoenix in the Kevin Durant deal. “It doesn’t catch me off-guard anymore, where you know, you see somebody on the court and they act as a totally different person … so him being a naggy person, the annoying person to play against, then you meet him, and he’s soft-spoken and humble,” Booker said. “And to me, those are the types of guys who want to go to war with, the guys who can turn it on.”
Suns Re-Sign CJ Huntley On Two-Way Contract
The Suns have brought back forward CJ Huntley on a two-way contract, the team announced today (Twitter link). ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link) first reported the two-way agreement between the two sides.
Phoenix opened a two-way spot earlier in the day by promoting Jamaree Bouyea to the 15-man roster.
Huntley went undrafted last year out of Appalachian State. He signed a two-way contract with Phoenix shortly after the draft but was waived in mid-November to make room for Bouyea. Huntley did not appear in any NBA games before he was waived.
He hooked onto the Suns’ NBA G League affiliate, the Valley Suns, and has received steady playing time. In 38 games, Huntley has averaged 14.5 points and 7.6 rebounds in 26.1 minutes per contest.
Huntley played all five collegiate seasons at Appalachian State. In 2024/25, he averaged 15.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and shot 49.3% from the field and 35.6% from three.
Huntley will be eligible to be active for up to 12 regular season games for the Suns during the final weeks of 2025/26.
Suns Promote Jamaree Bouyea To Two-Year Standard Deal
1:10 pm: Bouyea’s promotion to Phoenix’s standard roster is official, according to the team (Twitter link).
9:19 am: Two-way guard Jamaree Bouyea will sign a two-year contract with the Suns, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Bouyea, 26, has emerged as a valuable rotation piece after joining Phoenix on a two-way deal in November. He has appeared in 33 games and is averaging 6.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 15.5 minutes per night with .480/.317/.710 shooting numbers.
Bouyea will fit into the roster opening the Suns created on Friday by waiving Cole Anthony. Phoenix acquired Anthony from Milwaukee in a three-team deal at the deadline, but he never reported to the Suns.
As Charania notes, the new contract is a huge milestone for Bouyea, who has spent time with six teams over the past three-plus years on a variety of two-way and 10-day deals.
Bouyea was in training camp with Miami in 2022 after going undrafted out of San Francisco and was waived before the start of the season. The guard signed 10-day deals with the Heat and Wizards later in ’22/23, but didn’t get a second contract from either team. He returned to Miami during the summer of 2023, but was waived again before landing two-way contracts with Portland and San Antonio during the 2023/24 season. He got into five games with Milwaukee last season and briefly returned to the Spurs before becoming a free agent again.
The Suns now have a roster opening that can be filled on or before Wednesday, which is the cutoff date to sign players to two-way deals. Koby Brea and Isaiah Livers occupy the other two-way slots for Phoenix.
Suns Waive Cole Anthony
As expected, the Suns have waived guard Cole Anthony, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Reporting shortly after the trade deadline indicated that Phoenix was expected to cut Anthony after acquiring him in a salary-dump deal.
According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), the Suns didn’t make the move right away because they were waiting to see if a buyout was possible. Gerald Bourguet of Suns After Dark (Twitter link) adds that Phoenix was also in no rush to waive Anthony until two-way guard Jamaree Bouyea got closer to his games-played limit.
Meanwhile, head coach Jordan Ott suggested this week Anthony was still on the roster in part to provide emergency depth due to Phoenix’s backcourt injuries, though the former first-round pick had yet to actually report to the Suns and never seemed likely to suit up for the team.
The 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Anthony spent his first five NBA seasons with Orlando, averaging 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 24.8 minutes per contest on .419/.345/.847 shooting in 320 total games. However, his minutes have declined over the past few years and he was traded to Memphis in the 2025 offseason as part of the Desmond Bane blockbuster.
Anthony reached a buyout agreement with the Grizzlies and signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Bucks. He averaged 6.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 3.5 APG on .424/.306/.615 shooting in a career-low 15.1 minutes per game in 35 appearances with Milwaukee this season. The Bucks traded him and Amir Coffey to Phoenix in a three-team deadline deal that allowed the Suns to duck below the luxury tax line.
As both Gambadoro and Bourguet note, the expectation is that the Suns will use the newly opened roster spot to promote Bouyea to the standard roster, making him their new 15th man. That would open up a two-way slot, which Phoenix would have until next Wednesday to fill.
As for Anthony, he’ll clear waivers on Sunday if his minimum-salary contract goes unclaimed. Because he was waived by March 1, he’ll retain his playoff eligibility if he catches on with a new NBA team between now and the end of the regular season.
Buyout Market Rumors: Anthony, Middleton, Ball, D-Lo, Boucher
Veteran guard Cole Anthony has remained in limbo since being acquired by the Suns at this month’s trade deadline, having continued to hold a spot on Phoenix’s 15-man roster despite being away from the team. Reporting prior to the All-Star break indicated Anthony would likely be waived, but that still hasn’t happened. According to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, head coach Jordan Ott suggested on Thursday that the delay may be related to depth concerns in the Suns’ backcourt.
“It’s still the same,” Ott said of Anthony’s situation. “There hasn’t been much change, but we have had injuries and that’s kind of where it’s at. That’s why there hasn’t been much change, but that’s why it’s not completely out. We’ll continue to just stay in touch with his people and move this thing forward.”
Friday is the first of four days off for the Suns, and Devin Booker (hip strain) appears likely to return after that break, either on Tuesday in Sacramento or Thursday vs. Chicago, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. If Phoenix is confident in where Booker’s at in his recovery, it’s possible we could see Anthony let go on or before Sunday, which is the final day a player can be waived and retain his playoff eligibility for a new team.
[UPDATE: Anthony has been waived.]
If Anthony is cut, it would open up a spot for the Suns to promote two-way player Jamaree Bouyea to the standard roster. The club could then back-fill Bouyea’s two-way slot before next Wednesday’s deadline for two-way signings.
Here are a few more rumors related to the NBA’s buyout market:
- In addition to Denver, the Spurs are among the teams with interest in Mavericks forward Khris Middleton, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Dallas has reportedly given Middleton the option of negotiating a buyout or sticking with the Mavs for the rest of the season — he figures to make that decision within the next 48 hours or so.
- Although the Warriors, Nuggets, and other teams has some interest in Lonzo Ball after he was waived earlier this month, concerns about the guard’s knee dissuaded those potential suitors from moving forward on a deal with the veteran point guard, Siegel reports, adding that nothing is imminent on that front.
- Although D’Angelo Russell wasn’t required to report to the Wizards after being included in the Anthony Davis trade and has been viewed as a potential buyout candidate, there has been little interest around the league in the point guard, per Siegel. Russell’s contract includes a $5.97MM player option for 2026/27 that Washington would probably want to eliminate – or at least significantly reduce – as part of any buyout agreement, whereas D-Lo presumably wouldn’t want to give up that guaranteed money without a favorable deal lined up elsewhere. According to Siegel, Russell could end up simply finishing the season with the Wizards.
- Many league personnel believe Chris Boucher would like to reunite with the Raptors after being waived by Utah earlier this month, but it’s unclear whether Toronto reciprocates that interest, says Siegel.
And-Ones: Ishbia, J. Porter, J. Johnson, 65-Game Rule
Appearing on Wednesday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show, Suns owner Mat Ishbia said he’d be willing to put up $1MM in prize money for the winners of the slam dunk contest and three-point contest on All-Star Saturday, with another $1MM going to charity for each event, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. The goal, as Ishbia explained, would be to bring back more star power to those competitions.
“Let’s get the best guys in,” Ishbia said. “Let’s make it awesome.”
Unfortunately, as Windhorst notes, it wouldn’t be as simple as Ishbia simply putting up that prize money himself. The bonuses for winning those events are negotiated as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and require the approval of NBA owners and the players’ union. The current CBA calls for dunk contest winners to receive $105K and three-point contest champions to get $60K.
While Ishbia didn’t consult with the league office before sharing his proposal on The Pat McAfee Show, he’s motivated to find a way to get more stars into those All-Star Saturday competitions, Windhorst writes, so he could reach out to the NBA to explore the idea further.
We have more odds and ends from across the basketball world:
- Banned from the NBA for his participation in an illegal betting scheme, former Raptors forward/center Jontay Porter plans to join the Seattle Superhawks of the United States Basketball League, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Porter, who is still awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a federal felony charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in 2024, previously attempted to join Promitheas B.C. in Greece for the 2024/25 season but had that request turned down by a federal judge. The USBL season tips off on March 6.
- Veteran NBA forward James Johnson will join the BIG3 for its upcoming season and play for DMV Trilogy, the team coached by Stephen Jackson, the 3-on-3 league announced on Wednesday (via Twitter). A 16-year NBA veteran, Johnson appeared in 12 games for the Pacers in 2024/25 but hasn’t been in the league at all this season.
- With Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander both increasingly in danger of falling shy of the 65-game minimum to qualify for end-of-season awards, Eric Koreen of The Athletic argues that the rule is backfiring and could result in the wrong player being named Most Valuable Player this spring. In his latest MVP check-in, Zach Harper of The Athletic ranks Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama as his top three candidates, but they’ve missed 16, 11, and 14 games respectively. They’d be ineligible for award consideration if that number reaches 18.