Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we revisit every player who suited up during the 2025–26 campaign through the lens of expectation, reality, and what it ultimately meant.
Player Snapshot
- Position: PG/SG
- Age: 27
- 2026-27 Contract Status: UFA (Early Bird Rights)
- SunsRank (Preseason): 13
- SunsRank (Postseason): 7
*SunsRank is based on Bright Side writers’ ranking.
Season in One Sentence
Jordan Goodwin deserves a lot of credit for the culture shift that occurred in Phoenix this season.
By the Numbers
The Expectation
Some people wanted to roster Jared Butler over Jordan Goodwin during the preseason. Boy oh boy, are we glad that the Suns’ front office didn’t listen to them,
all due respect to Butler, who did look great in the preseason. The Phoenix Suns knew what they had in “Goodie.” He was a major piece of the identity they wanted to create.
Jordan Goodwin was the unsung hero of the Phoenix Suns this season. While many were excited to see him return, I find it unlikely anyone knew just how good and important he would be for this team. The tenacity he brought on a nightly basis was infectious.
But we already knew that. What we didn’t expect was for him to shoot 37.1% from deep on a healthy amount of attempts per game. His 4.3 attempts from deep per game were a career-high. He shot 39.2 with the Lakers in 29 games the previous year, but that was only on 2.3 attempts per game. It was a precursor for what was to come. Thanks again, LA!
The Reality
Watching Jordan Goodwin this season felt like watching a guy who refused to let the Suns’ “fragile” identity take hold. Goodwin’s evolution from a bench “insurance policy” into the 2026 Dan Majerle Hustle Award winner was fun to watch.
We all saw it all year long. Goodwin didn’t just play basketball; he attacked opponents relentlessly. He finished the year averaging a career-high 1.5 steals per game, often acting as the lone point-of-attack defender capable of making life miserable for opposing guards.
His shooting, once a major red flag, stabilized at a respectable 37.1% from deep. This proved he could stay on the floor next to Devin Booker without killing the spacing, providing a much-needed physical presence in a backcourt that can sometimes lean too heavily on finesse. Despite being a guard, he was the Suns’ second-best offensive rebounder behind only Mark Williams, averaging 2.0 offensive boards per game. His 4.9 rebounds per game were third on the team behind only Williams and Ighodaro.
What It Means
This was an investment in grit. Goodwin leaped from 13th to 7th in our SunsRank for a simple reason: he brought it every single night. He looked mature. He knew his role. He didn’t ever force anything offensively and usually made the smart play. He’d take the open shot, he’d find a lane to cut in, he’d make the extra pass. All of the little things you need your role players to do, he embraced.
As an unrestricted free agent this summer, the Suns have no choice. They need to prioritize retaining Goodwin this summer. You can find guards who can score anywhere, but finding a “junkyard dog” who actually impacts the win column is a much harder task. I’ll say it again, he and Dillon Brooks are the identity of this team. It’s still Devin Booker’s team, but those two are the heart and the soul that we need to keep around to keep this thing moving in the right direction.
“That’s our culture – that’s the minimum,” Goodwin said. “We’re going to go in and play hard every single day.”
“When you walk into the building, you can’t escape it,” Ott said. “That’s what you want to build. You want to build a group so competitive that if you don’t play hard, you’re the outlier.”
And my goodness did the Suns miss him in the OKC series. He is the exact player they needed to play 40+ minutes against a team like the Thunder. His absence wasn’t talked about enough. Yes, they missed Mark’s size, but Goodwin being out was the true backbreaker.
Defining Moment
January 4, 2026 vs. Oklahoma City: In a mid-season preview of the eventual playoff matchup, Goodwin was unconscious from deep.
He exploded for a team-high 26 points and drained 8 three-pointers to carry Phoenix to a 108-105 win. He made some clutch defensive plays, but when the offense is rolling like that for him, too, it’s fun to watch. And yes, this was the night of the Devin Booker game winner. One of our favorite wins of the season, and make no mistake… that shot doesn’t happen without Goodwin’s game.
Grade: A+
Yes, that’s a plus. Goodwin exceeded every reasonable expectation. He provided elite perimeter defense, solved his shooting woes, and became the physical heartbeat of a team that desperately needed one. He was an elite rebounder for a team that desperately needed it, too.
If he doesn’t return next season, we riot.
