PHOENIX \u2013 Devin Booker has been the face of the Phoenix Suns for nearly a decade, but his league-wide accolades haven\u2019t always followed due to the team\u2019s spotty success.<\/p>\n
A rejuvenated roster and a 30-20 record has the team in contention for a top-six Western Conference playoff seed this season. That success has kept Booker top of mind for NBA coaches, who named him a reserve for the 2026 game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the fifth NBA All-Star appearance for Booker, who is averaging over 25 points per game for an eighth consecutive season<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst, I got to thank the team,\u201d Booker said during the broadcast of Sunday\u2019s Clippers-Suns game. \u201cI\u2019ve had, statistically, some better years where I didn\u2019t make the game. It all comes back to team success.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last season, Booker had the help of now 16-time All-Star Kevin Durant, but an underwhelming season left the Suns with some holes to fill and the Suns traded Durant to the Houston Rockets in July. Durant earned All-Star nods in all three seasons of his stint with the Suns, while Booker was snubbed in 2023 and 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From Booker to Durant to Chris Paul, Phoenix has been represented by at least one All-Star in seven straight seasons. The last time Booker stood as the Suns\u2019 lone All-Star came in 2019-20, when Phoenix finished 34-39 and 10th in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n
This season, however, the Suns have nearly matched that win total before All-Star Weekend, a reflection of both Booker\u2019s impact and a roster that has adapted following Durant\u2019s departure. Phoenix acquired forward Dillon Brooks in the deal with Houston, and he has shouldered a significant offensive load in the absence of Booker and Jalen Green.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the Suns will not have any players on the Rising Stars roster during All-Star Weekend, players such as Collin Gillespie, Mark Williams and Jordan Goodwin have also played a pivotal role in the team\u2019s success.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brooks, averaging a career-high 21.1 points per game this season, even drew some All-Star attention for his season to date.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDillon Brooks is an All-Star,\u201d Gillespie said while wearing a \u201cDillon the Villain\u201d T-shirt in the locker room after Brooks\u2019 40-point game against the Pistons on Jan. 29. \u201cI think we have two.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brooks stayed humble when asked about the All-Star speculation after his career-high night.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur real All-Star is (Booker),\u201d Brooks said. \u201cHe\u2019s been leading us the whole time and he deserves to be in that All-Star talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Booker has sat out five straight games dealing with a right ankle sprain, while Green has played in only five games this season due to multiple injuries.<\/p>\n
In his past 10 games without Booker, Brooks has averaged over 22 points per game. The 30-year-old has certainly created a culture shift in Phoenix, and he\u2019s been able to lead by example for the Suns\u2019 younger pieces this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first thing you do as a leader is show yourself and what you can do so they can follow,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cWe always got guys in the gym shooting, practicing, staying ready. And that\u2019s what brings that fire and competitive spirit in the games.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same time, the Suns know they need their All-Star in the lineup if they are to achieve their goals this season. Grayson Allen, the Suns\u2019 second-longest tenured player, has experienced the team\u2019s highs and lows since 2023 and understands how vital Booker is to Phoenix.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been the engine to our team, offensively,\u201d Allen said after a home loss to the Clippers on Sunday. \u201cThe leader of our team and a huge part of our success. And it\u2019s apparent on a night like tonight where we come up short.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gillespie echoed those thoughts.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Booker\u2019s) the leader of our team,\u201d Gillespie said. \u201cWhen he’s out there, we’re a better basketball team because of him. Can do everything on the floor. Leader for us. Has so much gravity. Makes everybody else around him better.”<\/p>\n
With five games left until the All-Star break, first-year coach Jordan Ott seems content with the way his five-time All-Star has led the way for the Suns.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere’s not enough good things to say when you have a superstar that does all the things no one sees and does all the stuff on the court,” Ott said prior to Sunday\u2019s game.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Phoenix has won six of its last nine outings and hopes to continue its climb up the Western Conference standings with a game in Portland Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/2026\/02\/02\/devin-booker-phoenix-suns-all-star\/”>article<\/a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org”>Cronkite News<\/a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDevin Booker secures fifth All-Star nod, but Suns\u2019 depth is driving success<\/p>\n
Jackson Shaw, Cronkite News
\nFebruary 2, 2026<\/p>\n
PHOENIX \u2013 Devin Booker has been the face of the Phoenix Suns for nearly a decade, but his league-wide accolades haven\u2019t always followed due to the team\u2019s spotty success.<\/p>\n
A rejuvenated roster and a 30-20 record has the team in contention for a top-six Western Conference playoff seed this season. That success has kept Booker top of mind for NBA coaches, who named him a reserve for the 2026 game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the fifth NBA All-Star appearance for Booker, who is averaging over 25 points per game for an eighth consecutive season<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst, I got to thank the team,\u201d Booker said during the broadcast of Sunday\u2019s Clippers-Suns game. \u201cI\u2019ve had, statistically, some better years where I didn\u2019t make the game. It all comes back to team success.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last season, Booker had the help of now 16-time All-Star Kevin Durant, but an underwhelming season left the Suns with some holes to fill and the Suns traded Durant to the Houston Rockets in July. Durant earned All-Star nods in all three seasons of his stint with the Suns, while Booker was snubbed in 2023 and 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From Booker to Durant to Chris Paul, Phoenix has been represented by at least one All-Star in seven straight seasons. The last time Booker stood as the Suns\u2019 lone All-Star came in 2019-20, when Phoenix finished 34-39 and 10th in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n
This season, however, the Suns have nearly matched that win total before All-Star Weekend, a reflection of both Booker\u2019s impact and a roster that has adapted following Durant\u2019s departure. Phoenix acquired forward Dillon Brooks in the deal with Houston, and he has shouldered a significant offensive load in the absence of Booker and Jalen Green.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the Suns will not have any players on the Rising Stars roster during All-Star Weekend, players such as Collin Gillespie, Mark Williams and Jordan Goodwin have also played a pivotal role in the team\u2019s success.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brooks, averaging a career-high 21.1 points per game this season, even drew some All-Star attention for his season to date.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDillon Brooks is an All-Star,\u201d Gillespie said while wearing a \u201cDillon the Villain\u201d T-shirt in the locker room after Brooks\u2019 40-point game against the Pistons on Jan. 29. \u201cI think we have two.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brooks stayed humble when asked about the All-Star speculation after his career-high night.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur real All-Star is (Booker),\u201d Brooks said. \u201cHe\u2019s been leading us the whole time and he deserves to be in that All-Star talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Booker has sat out five straight games dealing with a right ankle sprain, while Green has played in only five games this season due to multiple injuries.<\/p>\n
In his past 10 games without Booker, Brooks has averaged over 22 points per game. The 30-year-old has certainly created a culture shift in Phoenix, and he\u2019s been able to lead by example for the Suns\u2019 younger pieces this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first thing you do as a leader is show yourself and what you can do so they can follow,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cWe always got guys in the gym shooting, practicing, staying ready. And that\u2019s what brings that fire and competitive spirit in the games.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same time, the Suns know they need their All-Star in the lineup if they are to achieve their goals this season. Grayson Allen, the Suns\u2019 second-longest tenured player, has experienced the team\u2019s highs and lows since 2023 and understands how vital Booker is to Phoenix.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been the engine to our team, offensively,\u201d Allen said after a home loss to the Clippers on Sunday. \u201cThe leader of our team and a huge part of our success. And it\u2019s apparent on a night like tonight where we come up short.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gillespie echoed those thoughts.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Booker\u2019s) the leader of our team,\u201d Gillespie said. \u201cWhen he’s out there, we’re a better basketball team because of him. Can do everything on the floor. Leader for us. Has so much gravity. Makes everybody else around him better.”<\/p>\n
With five games left until the All-Star break, first-year coach Jordan Ott seems content with the way his five-time All-Star has led the way for the Suns.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere’s not enough good things to say when you have a superstar that does all the things no one sees and does all the stuff on the court,” Ott said prior to Sunday\u2019s game.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Phoenix has won six of its last nine outings and hopes to continue its climb up the Western Conference standings with a game in Portland Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.<\/p>\n
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