Devin Booker is out for the rest of the month, the Phoenix Suns announced on Saturday. Booker suffered a right hip strain early on against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday and did not return in the team’s 121-94 loss.
Already having missed 12 games this year, if Booker misses six more, he will be ineligible to make All-NBA. With the earliest he could return being March 3rd, he can only miss one more game the rest of the season to stay eligible.
Additionally, the Suns announced that recent signing Haywood Highsmith is still recovering from the right knee surgery he had this past offseason, and will be re-evaluated in 14-21 days. He hasn’t played all year. Phoenix signed him last week during the All-Star break.
Phoenix is 5-7 on the year when Booker doesn’t play. Leading the team in points, assists and shots per game, the team is going to need to find someone or multiple people to pick up the playmaking load in his absence, especially in their Thursday show down against the Los Angeles Lakers, which could prove to be a huge game in the final Western Conference standings.