PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns’ 2025-26 season is just about underway with tipoff scheduled for just after 7:00 p.m. Arizona time against the Sacramento Kings at Mortgage Matchup Center.

Tonight’s game will mark the start of a new era under coach Jordan Ott as the Suns look to put a very disappointing last season in the rearview mirror.

Their first test with the new group will come against a Kings team missing two key starters in Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray.

Meanwhile, Phoenix will be without new guard Jalen Green (right hamstring strain), and its starting lineup will feature four returning players and one newcomer.

Here is the Suns’ starting lineup for Game 1:

Ighodaro getting the starting nod over Mark Williams, who was held out of the preseason, is a bit of a surprise, but the Suns used this exact starting lineup in the three preseason games when the key players were available.

Booker is the clear point guard of this group and won’t have to share as much ball-handling duties as he would if Green were available. He is looking to improve on a season where he averaged a career-high 7.1 assists per game and will have a big playmaking opportunity beginning tonight being the lone star on the team, which will likely mean a lot more double teams heading his way.

Allen, who is the second-longest tenured Suns player behind Booker, gets the nod for the injured Green as he looks to bounce back from what was a bit of a down year for himself last season. Suns general manager Brian Gregory said the sharp-shooting Allen was “going to have a breakout year” at media day last month and added that Allen, who was probable coming into tonight with left hip soreness, got in tremendous shape during the offseason.

The Suns have raved about the intensity and effort that Brooks has already brought to the group in helping shape their new identity after he was acquired as part of the return for the Kevin Durant trade. Now, Brooks will carry this over to the regular season and look to set a new tone for Phoenix’s defense, just as he did in the past with the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets, after the Suns had the third-worst defensive rating in the NBA a season ago.

Dunn enters his sophomore year trying to build off a strong rookie campaign in which he showcased a much improved 3-point shot from his time at Virginia. Dunn and Brooks form a dynamic defensive duo on the wings and will have a tough matchup against Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan right out of the gates. Look for Dunn’s offensive game to grow more as well this season, specifically in terms of his catch-and-shoot 3-point ability and being a more willing driver to the rim.

Ighodaro brings an extra playmaker to the starting 5 without Green available, as the Suns clearly like him even with a large contingent of bigs that also includes Nick Richards and rookie Khaman Maluach along with Williams. Ighodaro has great chemistry with Booker and Dunn and will have a favorable matchup at the center position with Sabonis out as the Suns will look to best utilize his unique skillset.

As for Williams, he will come off the bench in his Suns debut, but Ott is looking forward to seeing him on the court.

“He’s put a lot of work in and he’s had a long summer of work off the court, and then to finally get out there, be in front of these fans,” Ott said of Williams. “I know he’s excited, and I think that’s where we’ll start. Like, just his excitement, we will use that to help us, his energy and then a little bit of conditioning, like just to see how he is in the flow of play. We want to play fast, we want to get up and down to see how that looks right off the bat.”