Why Suns’ Devin Booker won’t qualify for NBA awards even with 65 games

Phoenix Suns All-Star guard Devin Booker will fall just short of qualifying for NBA postseason awards based on a minute requirement.
The NBA requires players to play at least 20 minutes in 63 games and 15 to 19 minutes, 59 seconds in two games to total 65.
Any game under 15 minutes doesn’t count towards the 65-game limit.
Booker has played 62 games this season with 60 games of 20 or more minutes that count towards qualifying for award eligibility.
He played under 15 minutes in two games. Booker logged 10 minutes Dec. 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers and nine Feb. 19 versus the San Antonio Spurs.
Booker experienced a right hip injury in a 121-94 loss to the Spurs in Austin and suffered a right groin injury in the first quarter of Phoenix’s 125-108 road win over the Lakers.
So even if he plays 20 minutes in each of Phoenix’s last four games of the 2025-26 regular season to reach 66 games played, he’ll fall one game short of the 65-game requirement because the two games he played under 15 minutes would count against him.
Booker would wind up with 64 qualified games for postseason awards.
A two-time All-NBA selection, Booker is averaging 25.8 points and six assists.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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