The Phoenix Suns will head to China on Monday, Oct. 6, for two games against the Brooklyn Nets in Macao with Jalen Green working his way back from a left hamstring strain.

“It’s definitely progressing,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said Oct. 5 about Green’s injury. “It’s progressing in the right place. With soft tissue, you never know exactly where we’re at, but every day has been better. We’ll continue to reassess in China.”

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Green didn’t play in the preseason opener on Friday, Oct. 3, against the Los Angeles Lakers in Palm Desert, but got in a pregame workout of dribbling, shooting and movement.

The former Houston Rockets guard played in all 82 regular-season games the past two seasons. The Suns landed Green in the Kevin Durant trade before the 2025 draft.

“I think he’s super close (to returning),” Suns guard Jared Butler said Oct. 5.

The Suns leave Phoenix for what they say will be a 17-hour, 7,500-mile flight to China for a weeklong stay that ends with two games in three days — Oct. 10 and Oct. 12 — versus the Nets.

“Get out of the states,” Suns star Devin Booker said Oct. 3. “Long flight together, so we’re going to get some good team bonding. Some quality time. Take this show on the road.”

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The Suns have an extensive plan for the flight that considers the 15-hour time differential, as Macao is ahead in time to Phoenix.

“Because there is such a time change and it’s weird, the team and our health and performance staff have put together a cool schedule of food timing, sleep timing,” Suns guard Grayson Allen said. “When to sleep during the flight. When you force yourself to be awake so that we can try to adjust a little bit easier. I think we have designated lights on, lights off times.”

Phoenix won its preseason opener, 103-81, over the Lakers, who were without LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Booker scored 24 points while Allen and Dillon Brooks shot a combined 6-of-10 from 3 in scoring 13 and 10 points, respectively.

“I liked the way we played,” Booker said. “A lot of carryover from training camp. It’s nice to see it versus another team.

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Butler added 12 off the bench.

“Guys were setting me up well,” said Butler, who is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract with the Suns. “I felt like our offense had a good continuity.”

New Suns big Mark Williams and Green, two projected starters, didn’t play Friday, but Booker has built chemistry with his new backcourt mate during camp.

“He’s been on a few heaters in camp,” Booker said about Green. “He didn’t miss many shots. Anything for us surrounding him to make it easier, to allow us both to be more efficient and being able to score and at the same time create for others.”

Williams has participated in all facets of camp outside of live 5-on-5. The Suns have had him on an intentional plan since July 1 with a major focus on building strength, particularly his lower body.

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“Weight room, everything with the team, install plays, defensive drills, all that,” Williams said on Oct. 3. “I’m in a good place. They have a plan in place for me to be ready for opening night. Just doing everything in my power to be able to endure a full season, so I’m excited for that.”

Williams added that he’s “playing opening night,” when the Suns begin the 2025-26 season Oct. 22 against the Sacramento Kings at Mortgage Matchup Center.

“I’ll be ready for that,” he said.

It’s still unclear whether Williams will see any preseason action.

With the Suns playing their final preseason game Oct. 14 at home against the Lakers after flying back from China the day before, Williams likely won’t play in that rematch.

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It appears the window for him to play this preseason will be in China against the Nets.

“Day-by-day, he’s out here working,” Ott said. “In a good place. The same thing. He’s in all of our drills. It’ll be the same piece. We’ll see what happens in China. We are in China for a long time. Things could change, but he’s still right on the plan.”

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: New Suns guard Jalen Green ‘super close’ to returning from injury