Will the Phoenix Suns' newest acquisition, Haywood Highsmith, make his season debut on Tuesday against the Sacramento Kings? The 6-foot-5 forward is unsure himself.
He was given a timetable of two to three weeks to return from knee surgery in August 2025. From the moment he arrived at the Valley of the Sun, Highsmith was committed to being ready for the final stages of the season.
"Doing a lot of work. Making good progress. Making progress faster than they thought and getting more comfortable every time working with rehab and stuff. Just looking good and feeling good," Highsmith said during Tuesday's shootaround, via AZCentral's Duane Rankin on Ax (formerly Twitter).
The former Miami Heat forward has defensive ability, which Phoenix was very interested in acquiring. After the Suns executed at the NBA trade deadline, they vacated a roster spot.
The signing of Highsmith was a bit of a surprise, given how he fits into Miami's culture. But he fits seamlessly into Phoenix head coach Jordan Ott's defensive scheme of players who can switch and be versatile on that end.
What can Haywood Highsmith bring to the Suns?
Defense, defense, and more defense. Despite not being the best offensive player, this was his calling card. However, Highsmith developed into a good 3-point shooter, getting 42 starts last season.
The 3-and-D philosophy will never go away in the NBA, and as long as a player can be effective on both sides, it's usually a recipe for success.
And with Jordan Goodwin scheduled to be evaluated in about a week or two, Highsmith's appearance comes at a critical time. Like Goodwin, the newest addition to the team will bring his own calling card.
"Defensively, that's what I do. Pressing. Picking up, being that dog defensively. Crashing the glass, being a good shooter, playing off guys like (Jalen Green and Devin Booker) as a spot up shooter and just bringing that energy," Highsmith said via Rankin.
“Just being a tough, solid guy and doing the intangibles and doing whatever it takes to win.”
No-ego is an automatic green flag for Suns, and they may find themselves a perennial lockdown savior. Now it remains to be seen whether he is fit on Tuesday despite no injury report.
