Suns Star Devin Booker Out At Least 1 Week With Groin Injury

Devin Booker’s groin injury appears to be minimal. The Phoenix Suns star sustained a right groin strain in Monday night’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers. He’ll be evaluated again in one week, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. If that’s the case, Booker may end up missing only two games for the Suns.

Booker started Monday’s 125-108 win over the Lakers normally, and put up 11 points in the first quarter at Crypto.com Arena. But Booker suddenly checked out of the game with just more than two minutes left in the period, and never returned.

It’s not known when he actually injured his groin, but the Suns quickly ruled him out with the injury.

Booker has averaged 25 points, 6.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game this season. The four-time All-Star is in his 11th season in the league this fall after the Suns took him with the No. 13 overall pick out of Kentucky in 2015. 

While it's almost certainly just a weird coincidence, this is now the third December in the past four years in which Booker has dealt with a groin injury. He missed 20 games in December 2022 due to a groin issue, and then five games last December, too. 

Though Booker missed most of Monday night's game in Southern California, the Suns had no issue picking up the blowout 17-point win. Dillon Brooks led the way with 33 points, and Collin Gillespie followed up with 28 points on eight 3-pointers. That snapped a two-game losing skid for the Suns, who now sit at 13-9 on the season. 

Phoenix will take on the Houston Rockets next on Friday night in Texas, part of a four-game road trip, before a matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. If Booker is out for just a week, he could in theory be available for next Wednesday night's game with the Oklahoma City Thunder.