The Suns’ starting five looks pretty clear-cut. Devin Booker and Jalen Green will comprise the starting backcourt, Dillon Brooks and summer acquisition Miles Bridges will man the forward spots and Mark Williams will get the nod at center.

Should that also be the closing lineup for a team that went 13-17 in games decided by six points (two possessions) or less last season?

The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin examines that question, noting that Collin Gillespie was the only player to post a positive plus/minus (0.1) in the fourth quarter among roster members who played at least 20 minutes a game last season. Rankin sees Gillespie and another offseason addition, Luke Kennard, in the mix for crunch time minutes along with the projected starting five.

Here’s more on the Suns:

• Brooks signed a three-year, $73MM extension on Saturday. It’s another example of Phoenix’s front office opting for continuity, Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports writes. Iko notes that the organization also re-signed Gillespie, Williams and Jordan Goodwin to reasonable deals. If Brooks and Green can stay healthy this upcoming season, the Suns might just benefit from that strategy. Iko points out that Brooks, Green and Booker played less than 150 minutes together last season and the team still won 45 games.
• Speaking of win totals, what would it take for the Suns to reach the 50-victory mark? Rankin lists a healthy Green and Kennard’s outside shooting as major factors. They’ll also need one of their young bigs — Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koa Peat — to make an impact, as well as big contributions from third-year players Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro.
• They won’t play the Lakers this preseason after doing so the past three years at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California, Rankin notes. However, the Western Conference rivals could resume their preseason matchup there in 2027. “This year, it was a scheduling issue just based on Lakers’ preseason commitments,” said John Page, senior vice president of Acrisure Arena.