Jamaree Bouyea dishes out eight assists vs. Spurs

Highsmith, who appeared in seven games for the Suns last season, was re-signed in August to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal. Waiving the veteran wing means Jamaree Bouyea will be on the Opening Night roster, and the Suns will use 14 standard contracts for luxury tax reasons. Bouyea’s contract will not be fully guaranteed unless he’s on the roster on January 10.

Bouyea got the starting nod in Game 82 with Phoenix having already clinched the seventh seed in the West. He took advantage of the opportunity and stuffed the stat sheet in a big way to lead the Suns to victory. Bouyea has had some productive outings this season, but he hasn’t seen more than a few minutes per game when this team is healthy. Don’t expect to see Bouyea on the floor much during the postseason.

Gillespie will sit out the Suns’ final regular-season game, as the outcome will not affect the team’s playoff seeding. Jamaree Bouyea is likely to play significant minutes with Devin Booker and Jalen Green also out.

While Gillespie and Highsmith are questionable, their situations differ greatly. Gillespie has been a consistent presence in the Suns’ rotation, most recently starting Friday’s loss to the Lakers. If he can’t play, Jamaree Bouyea could move into the starting lineup. As for Highsmith, he has been out since March 17. The Suns may want to get him on the floor for a bit on Sunday, their last opportunity to play a game ahead of Tuesday’s Play-In Tournament matchup with the Trail Blazers or Clippers.

Bouyea has played well for the Suns this season, earning regular rotation minutes due to recurring backcourt injuries. In 10 games with 20+ minutes, he’s averaged 9.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.6 blocked shots and 0.5 three-pointers.

The timeline means Booker will likely be back against the Kings on Tuesday or the Bulls on Thursday. With Dillon Brooks sidelined, Phoenix needs help on offense, and Booker’s return should help tremendously in that department. Booker’s return could mean fewer minutes for the likes of Collin Gillespie and Jamaree Bouyea.

Goodwin’s absence should mean plenty of playing time for Collin Gillespie, with Jamaree Bouyea logging additional minutes off the bench.

Allen joins Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks and Jordan Goodwin on the sideline for Sunday’s game. As a result, Jamaree Bouyea and Amir Coffey may be asked to play rotation minutes off the bench. Bouyea offers a slightly higher ceiling, but neither qualifies as a must-stream player.

Allen is on the report for injury management reasons after logging 33 minutes in Saturday’s double-overtime win over the Magic. With Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks and Jordan Goodwin already out, the Suns may need to rely more on Jamaree Bouyea, even if Allen plays on Sunday.

Like Devin Booker, Green is good to go after sitting out the Suns’ final game before the All-Star break. His return likely bumps Jamaree Bouyea out of the rotation, especially with Grayson Allen also available to play. Bouyea’s availability does not affect fantasy basketball.