Devin Booker Out 6 Weeks After Undergoing Surgery on Hand Injury

Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker will be out for approximately six weeks as he recovers from surgery on his right hand, the team announced Monday.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 first reported Sunday that Booker was going to undergo the procedure. He had initially injured the hand in March and continued to try to play through it for the rest of the 2017-18 season.

The Suns' timetable for Booker's return would rule him out for the team's training camp, which begins Sept. 25 at Northern Arizona University. He also appears likely to miss the start of the regular season. Phoenix opens the year Oct. 17 at home to the Dallas Mavericks.

There's no question the timing of the hand surgery isn't ideal. The Athletic's Shams Charania reported in July that Booker signed a five-year, $158 million extension with the team.

Ultimately, though, Monday's news isn't cause for panic in Phoenix.

The team is likely to once again be among the worst in the NBA as it focuses its attention on developing both Booker and No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton. If anything, losing Booker for a stretch of 2018-19 gives the Suns an even better chance of landing a high draft pick in 2019.

The hand surgery doesn't speak to any pre-existing concerns about Booker's durability either. He played in 38 games in his only season with the Kentucky Wildcats and missed 10 combined games in his first two seasons in the NBA before his hand started to become an issue in 2017-18.

Should Booker's recovery carry on through the first few games of regular season, the Suns will likely rely on Troy Daniels as the starting 2-guard.