Phoenix Suns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Notes: Lively, Little, C. Martin, Smart, Hawks

December 25th, 2023 at 8:29pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past four games with a left ankle sprain, Mavericks center Dereck Lively will be available tonight against Phoenix, Dallas announced (via Twitter). Marc Stein was the first to report that Lively was on track to return (Substack link).

The 12th pick of the 2023 draft, the 7’1″ Lively has made an immediate impact as a rookie, averaging 8.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 1.6 BPG while shooting 73.4% from the field in 23 games (25.3 MPG). The Mavs have gone just 1-5 without him this season, including 1-3 over the past four contests.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Suns wing Nassir Little has been upgraded from out to questionable for the matchup with Dallas, tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Little, who is averaging 5.4 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 16.2 MPG over 21 appearances, is dealing with left knee soreness.
Heat wing Caleb Martin sprained his right ankle and was ruled out for the remainder of Monday’s game against Philadelphia, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Miami was already shorthanded, with Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith and Josh Richardson all out for the Christmas Day contest.
Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart is questionable for Tuesday’s contest in New Orleans, Memphis announced (via Twitter). Smart has been out since November 14 with a left foot sprain.
Rising Hawks forward Jalen Johnson is officially questionable for Tuesday’s game against Chicago, but he’s ready to return, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Star point guard Trae Young is also questionable with a right shoulder AC sprain, as Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays (via Twitter).

Woj: Durant Frustrated By Beal’s Health, Suns’ Supporting Cast

December 25th, 2023 at 5:48pm CST by Rory Maher

2023/24 has been a roller coaster season thus far for the Suns. After starting off 4-6 amid injuries to Bradley Beal and Devin Booker, Phoenix reeled off seven straight victories after Booker returned to hold an 11-6 record.

However, the Suns have gone 3-8 since and are currently an underwhelming 14-14 heading into Monday’s game against Dallas. Beal has only appeared in six games, first dealing with a back injury and then spraining his ankle, which will likely keep him out until January.

Appearing on NBA Countdown, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said star forward Kevin Durant is growing frustrated by the situation in Phoenix (YouTube link).

“Start with Kevin Durant. You talk to people in Phoenix and around that organization, you know, they can feel the frustration with Durant,” Wojnarowski said. “Part of that certainly is the missed games for Brad Beal. This team was build around those three stars.

“The underwhelming supporting cast that comes from those massive trades for Durant and Bradley Beal that really gutted the organization and left them having to sign a lot of minimum players to fill out the payroll. And then an understanding that they lack the assets, the draft picks, the trade capital to really improve this team.

“This is something they’re going to have to manage in Phoenix with Kevin Durant. You’ve seen it before. And it reminds you — it is a stark reminder — of how short of a window, and how this team has to win big, and they have to win big quickly, based on how it was constructed. And having Kevin Durant still playing at an All-NBA level, and a healthy Kevin Durant. There’s a lot at stake for this organization. It’s got to change soon.”

As Wojnarowski alluded to, it’s ironic that Durant is frustrated by a situation he specifically asked to be traded into — and not just once, but twice. Brooklyn eventually acquiesced and sent him to the Suns in February 2023, but he initially asked to be traded in the summer of 2022.

The Nets received Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round swap from the Suns for Durant (plus a couple second-rounders from the Bucks for Jae Crowder). One of those Suns picks has already conveyed — Brooklyn selected Noah Clowney 21st overall in 2023.

Durant is 35 years old, so some level of win-now frustration is understandable to an extent. And Wojnarowski is certainly correct that the 13-time All-Star continues to play at an elite level, as Durant is averaging 30.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.4 APG and 1.1 BPG on .521/.473/.871 shooting in 24 games (36.6 MPG). His 47.3% mark from three-point range currently leads the NBA.

The Suns don’t have many options leading into the February trade deadline. They don’t control any of their future first-round picks, and Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen and Nassir Little — who were all acquired in the offseason as part of the trade that sent Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara to Portland and Damian Lillard to Milwaukee — are the only the only mid-sized contracts on the roster.

Suns Notes: Gordon, Booker, Beal, Okogie

December 25th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

After Eric Gordon attempted a season-low two shots from the floor on Friday and told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report that he’d like to have a bigger role in the Suns‘ offense, Devin Booker didn’t disagree with his teammate’s assessment, telling reporters on Sunday that Phoenix could benefit from getting the veteran guard more involved.

“I think we just have to find ways to open up looks for him and put him a position to do what he does,” Booker said, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). “Nobody takes what he said personal around here. He’s been in this for a long time. He’s earned that respect and he has the talent to do what he said.”

As we detailed on Saturday, Gordon has averaged just 9.8 points on 8.8 shots per night during the Suns’ recent 3-8 stretch. He posted 14.9 points on 12.1 attempts per night (with a .469/.404/.786 shooting line) through his first 16 games with the club, which included 11 wins.

Gordon, who is celebrating his 36th birthday today, said on Sunday that head coach Frank Vogel has put an emphasis on getting him more involved offensively, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link).

Here’s more on the Suns, who are in action in the late Christmas Day game vs. Dallas:

Bradley Beal is hoping to return “much sooner” from his right ankle sprain that the team initially projected, but Vogel isn’t necessarily counting on that. Speaking on Sunday to reporters, Vogel said Beal remains “hobbled” and has still only done non-contact work in practices (Twitter video link via PHNX Sports). “If he gets healthier sooner, then he’ll be back sooner,” Vogel said. “But the expectation is he’s probably gonna be (out) until January.”
Suns wing Josh Okogie appears set to return on Monday after missing the past five games due to a hip flexor. He’s listed as probable and is expected to play, per Vogel (Twitter link via Bourguet). Prior to his injury, Okogie started 11 of 23 games for Phoenix.
In a story for The Arizona Republic, Rankin lists six items on the Suns’ Christmas wish list, including getting Beal back as soon as possible and breaking out of a shooting slump from beyond the arc.

Community Shootaround: Christmas Day Games

December 25th, 2023 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

Merry Christmas from the Hoops Rumors staff!

As usual, the NBA has an impressive slate of five games on tap for Christmas Day, with many of the league’s top teams and biggest stars in action on December 25. Here’s today’s schedule:

11:00 am CT: Milwaukee Bucks (22-7) at New York Knicks (16-12)
1:30 pm CT: Golden State Warriors (15-14) at Denver Nuggets (21-10)
4:00 pm CT: Boston Celtics (22-6) at Los Angeles Lakers (16-14)
7:00 pm CT: Philadelphia 76ers (20-8) at Miami Heat (17-12)
9:30 pm CT: Dallas Mavericks (17-12) at Phoenix Suns (14-14)

Some of these teams have underachieved to some extent so far – the Warriors, Lakers, and Suns, in particular, aren’t where they want to be in the standings – and reigning MVP Joel Embiid won’t be available for the Sixers. But each matchup still has something going for it.

We’ve got Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard visiting Madison Square Garden; former MVPs Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic starring in a showdown between the two most recent NBA champions; Jayson Tatum and the Celtics facing LeBron James and the Lakers in a battle between the league’s two most storied franchises; Jimmy Butler and the defending Eastern Conference champions hosting Butler’s former team; and perennial MVP candidates Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant squaring off in Phoenix.

The NBA’s schedule makers did especially well on the Eastern Conference side of things — the East’s top three teams, and five of its top six squads, are all in action today, with the fourth-seeded Magic representing the only exception.

Over in the West, things are a little more hit and miss, given that the Lakers, Warriors, and Suns currently rank ninth, 10th, and 11th in the conference. The No. 2 Nuggets and the No. 6 Mavericks are the only two Western Conference teams in action today that currently hold a playoff spot.

While the NBA couldn’t have realistically expected that either team would be quite this good this season, it’s too bad the 22-6 Timberwolves, who are in a tie for the league’s best record, and the exciting young Thunder (18-9) aren’t part of today’s schedule.

We want to know what you think. Are there any teams you wish were (or weren’t) involved in today’s games? Which of these five contests are you most looking forward to? Which five teams are you picking to win this year’s Christmas Day matchups?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in, and feel free to use it as an open thread to discuss today’s games.

Bradley Beal Talks About Impact Of Injuries

December 23rd, 2023 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns guard Bradley Beal talks to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about his frustrating battle with injuries and how it has played into the team’s disappointing start.

Bradley Beal Wants Wizards To Stay In Downtown D.C.

December 23rd, 2023 at 5:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns guard Bradley Beal doesn’t want to see his former team move forward with relocation plans to northern Virginia. Beal, who spent 11 seasons with the Wizards before being traded this summer, appealed to owner Ted Leonsis to reconsider last week’s announcement (video link). “D.C, there is no moving to Virginia, like what is that?” Beal said. “Ted, we love you to death. We understand what you want to do and trying to do, but you can’t take the team out of D.C.”

Eric Gordon Seeking Bigger Role With Suns

December 23rd, 2023 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Eric Gordon was reinserted into the Suns‘ starting lineup for Friday’s contest in Sacramento, but had one of his worst games of the season. Gordon, who was a minus-25 in Phoenix’s 15-point loss, went scoreless for the first time this season and attempted a season-low two shots from the floor.

Speaking to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, Gordon expressed some dissatisfaction with his role on offense.

“Early on in the season, it was better. And lately, there just hasn’t been an emphasis [to get me more looks],” Gordon said. “So, it’s definitely different. Lately I haven’t been getting hardly any touches really.”

Head coach Frank Vogel admitted that he’s “not doing a good enough job” making sure that Gordon gets involved in the offense, adding that the 16-year veteran is “a guy that can really help us.” Gordon, who will turn 35 on Christmas Day, tells Haynes that he plans to talk to Vogel about ways to incorporate him more.

“Everybody knows the type of player I am and what I’m about. I came here to win, but what I do is score,” Gordon said. “And I think when I score, it really opens up the door for a lot of people because I can score in big games and in big ways. That’s just what it is.”

Phoenix won seven straight games in November and had an 11-6 record at one point, but has since lost eight of 11 to slip to .500 (14-14). Gordon has averaged just 9.8 points on 8.8 shots per night during that recent stretch after posting 14.9 points on 12.1 attempts per night (with a .469/.404/.786 shooting line) through the club’s first 17 games. His usage rate has dipped to 17.5% for the season, which would be a career low.

With Bradley Beal sidelined due to an ankle injury, the Suns are looking to get some secondary offense from players besides Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. In Phoenix’s past two losses, those two stars have combined to average 59 points per night, but no other player has scored more than 11 in either game.

Suns Notes: Slump, Beal, Nurkic, Okogie, Trade Ideas

December 22nd, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Even without Bradley Beal available, the Suns should be performing better than they have as of late, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports, who identifies myriad problems that were on display in Tuesday’s ugly loss in Portland. The team’s role players haven’t shot three-pointers particularly well, the fourth-quarter offense has relied too much on iso-ball, and the perimeter defense hasn’t been stout enough, Bourguet writes.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, star guard Devin Booker said his teammates can’t be “scared to hold each other accountable” and that it’s important to “keep learning each other, keep talking,” per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

“We all feel it,” Booker said of the Suns’ recent underwhelming play. “Not just one of us. It’s everybody in here. We all have a job and this is the highest form of basketball in the world. It’s not an easy job and we understand that. We have the talent. We have the basketball minds in here to play better than we were.”

While the Suns are disappointed with their performances in the past few games, there have been “no players-only meetings for us so far,” forward/center Chimezie Metu said with a smile on Friday (Twitter video link via Rankin). “Hopefully we don’t have to get to that point, but we’ll see,” he added.

Here’s more on the Suns:

Phoenix announced on Monday that Beal’s sprained right ankle will be reevaluated in two weeks, but the veteran guard tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link) that he hopes to return “much sooner” than that.
While starting center Jusuf Nurkic won’t be available for Friday’s game in Sacramento for personal reasons, he’s expected to rejoin the club for the Christmas Day game vs. Dallas, tweets Rankin.
Suns wing Josh Okogie, who has missed the past four games due to a hip flexor, said he’ll be a “game-time decision” on Friday (Twitter video link via Rankin). Okogie added that he’s able to run without issue now but needs to make sure he has regained his “explosiveness” before he gets back on the court.
Taking into account the limited collection of movable assets the Suns have at their disposal this season, Bourguet offers up 12 ideas for trades that might be viable and that would potentially upgrade the team’s depth.

Maledon Was On Suns' Radar During Offseason

December 19th, 2023 at 10:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Theo Maledon, who was claimed off waivers from Charlotte by the Suns on Sunday, has been on Phoenix’s radar for a while, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports. Maledon, who is on a two-way deal, worked out for the Suns during the offseason. “I want to say two months before training camp probably,” Maledon said. He’ll give the team another point guard option. “For sure, but I just want to do my role on what coach expects from me or the team expects me to do. Whatever they need, I feel like that’s the biggest priority,” he said.
Suns wing Bradley Beal, who is expected to miss at least the rest of this month with an ankle injury, was a spectator when Phoenix defeated his former team on Sunday. The ex-Wizards star says it’s “surreal” to be on the same team as Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. “It’s definitely surreal at times,” he told Ava Wallace of the Washington Post. “… That’s two guys I competed against for a long time in this league, and now we’re all sharing the opportunity to go compete for a title. It’s surreal in a lot of ways. But it kind of motivates you, too, to just continue to be the best version of yourself you can be.”

Bradley Beal To Miss At Least Two Weeks With Sprained Ankle

December 18th, 2023 at 4:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Suns shooting guard Bradley Beal just can’t seem to catch a break.

The 6’4″ vet is set to be out at least the next two weeks as he recuperates from a sprained right ankle, Phoenix announced (Twitter link). He will then be reassessed, meaning the soonest he could play would happen once the calendar year flips over to January.

Shams Charania of The Athletic previously reported that Beal would be out for “a few” weeks, while Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic suggested a two-to-three week recovery timeline.

As Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes (via Twitter), the 30-year-old’s absence now, at best, will leave just 50 more games for the Suns’ maximum-salaried star triumvirate of Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant to jell ahead of the postseason.

Beal is a three-time All-Star and a 2021 All-NBA Third Teamer, but he’s been plagued by health issues for years at this point. He has appeared in just six contests for the Suns thus far this year, averaging 14.7 points per game on .449/.429/.708 shooting splits, along with 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per night.

The Florida alum hasn’t appeared in more than 60 games in a season since 2018/19.

Phoenix, expected to be a major postseason contender, may have a little trouble even getting there. At 14-12, the Suns are currently the No. 10 seed in a crowded Western Conference, just two wins north of the No. 11-seeded Warriors. Missing Beal could make for some additional tough sledding in the weeks to come.