Bradley Beal Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Nurkic, Ayton, Beal, Klay, Wiggins, Harden

November 22nd, 2023 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

While one game isn’t enough to determine winners and losers of a trade, the Suns‘ victory over the Trail Blazers on Tuesday served as a reminder of why Phoenix traded former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton for a handful of role players led by Jusuf Nurkic, writes Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports.

Nurkic, Grayson Allen, and Nassir Little all played key roles in the victory, with Nurkic in particular bouncing back from a slow start to have a big game. The veteran center finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks, and was a plus-17 in 29 minutes.

Ayton, who was a minus-33 in 31 minutes for the Blazers, is getting an opportunity to play more of a starring role in Portland, while Nurkic is happy to take a back seat to his superstar teammates in Phoenix, according to Bourguet, who suggests those roles suit the two big men based on what they hope to accomplish in the near future.

“It’s not like I’m a main player here, man, [like] I’m just gonna take the ball and do whatever I want,” Nurkic said. “I feel like people need to understand I’m here to sacrifice and do all the little stuff that they need for the game and winning basketball.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Andscape’s Marc J. Spears shares the second diary installment from Suns guard Bradley Beal, who is currently on the shelf with a back injury and said he shares fans’ frustration that the team’s big three has yet to play together. “We want it to happen more than anybody,” Beal wrote. “So, we’re all working diligently…to make sure that happens. … Before you know it, we’re all going to be clicking. And when this thing is healthy and the train is rolling, we’re going to be steaming away.”
Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins haven’t looked quite like their usual selves so far this season, but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr referred to the two former All-Stars as “championship players” and indicated that he’s willing to be “really patient” with them, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. After Wiggins scored a season-high 31 points on Saturday and Thompson put up a season-high 20 on Monday, Kerr suggested that patience is beginning to pay off. “I think you will see a different Wiggs from here on, and I think the same thing’s going to happen with Klay,” he said.
What has been the key for helping James Harden get comfortable with the Clippers? “Constant communication,” according to Harden and head coach Tyronn Lue, as Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times writes. Lue said his experience with Harden has been one he went through with the Clippers’ other stars too. “(They) all want to have a relationship and constant communication with the head coach and just try to figure out what they see, what the coach sees and how we can put it all together,” Lue said.

Pacific Notes: Kings, Watanabe, Beal, Clippers, Warriors

November 20th, 2023 at 8:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings will aggressively pursue a trade for a star, The Athletic’s Shams Charania stated on FanDuel’s Run It Back (hat tip to NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin).

“This is the first time in a really long time — maybe when Chris Webber was with the Kings — that you can look at the Kings as a trade destination,” Charania said. “They’re going to be involved in every star player: Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, maybe Zach LaVine. Whatever stars become available because [Kings’ GM] Monte McNair, that organization, they’ve done a good job at keeping their assets. They have tradable contracts. So they’re going to be a player for stars coming up for sure.”

The Kings control all of their future first-round picks except their 2024 selection, which is owed to Atlanta (with lottery protection).

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Suns’ Yuta Watanabe missed Sunday’s game at Utah with a left quad contusion, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. He was kneed during a pick-up game on Saturday. Watanabe, who signed a two-year, veteran’s minimum contract with a player option during the offseason, had appeared in Phoenix’s first 12 games, averaging 5.3 points per night.
Suns wing Bradley Beal, who won’t play for at least the next three weeks due to a low back strain, has dealt with nerve irritation from his back down to his legs, according to The Athletic’s Charania. Beal, who suffered the initial injury in training camp, only appeared in three games before he was sidelined again last week.
It’s time for the Clippers and Warriors to start showing that they’re true contenders and prove they deserve to continue with their current core groups, The Athletic’s John Hollinger opines.

Injury Notes: Alvarado, Lyles, Mitchell, Beal, Hornets

November 18th, 2023 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado is getting “really close” to making his season debut, head coach Willie Green said on Friday, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link). Alvarado, who has been sidelined for the first few weeks of the season due to a right ankle sprain, missed Friday’s in-season tournament game against Denver but has been upgraded to questionable for Saturday’s contest vs. Minnesota, per the team (Twitter link).

While Alvarado has a chance to return on Saturday, forward Zion Williamson will be getting the night off on the second night of a back-to-back set, according to the Pelicans. Williamson’s designation is “rest,” so it sounds like there’s no new injury there — it’s just a matter of the team being cautious.

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

Kings forward Trey Lyles tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee that he expects to make his season debut at some point during the team’s current road trip, which continues on Sunday in Dallas and wraps up next Friday in Minnesota. Lyles has been unavailable so far this fall due to a calf injury, but has progressed to 3-on-3 work and says he feels “great,” adding that he’s mostly focused now on improving his conditioning.
While it doesn’t appear to be a cause for any significant concern at this point, Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell missed a second game on Friday due to a right hamstring issue. Mitchell also sat out on October 28 due to right hamstring soreness, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Suns guard Bradley Beal was listed as probable to play on Wednesday before being downgraded to out and then ruled out for at least three weeks due to a low back strain. Head coach Frank Vogel explained on Friday that Beal turned out not to be back to 100% when he made his season debut and playing in games was impeding his recovery process. “We want to put this thing behind him,” Vogel said, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). “Playing in the games was slowing down his progress for really trying to put this behind him. We don’t want to do the ‘play a game, be out a game, play a game, be out a game.'”
The Hornets continue to be beset by injuries, as big man Nick Richards left Friday’s game due to concussion-like symptoms and has now been placed in the concussion protocol and ruled out for Saturday’s contest, per the team (Twitter link). In other Hornets injury news, Terry Rozier, who is sidelined due to a left groin issue, has yet to resume practicing, notes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).

Suns’ Beal Out At Least Three Weeks Due To Back Injury

November 17th, 2023 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns‘ big three appeared to be nearing full health earlier this week, but the trio’s regular season debut will be delayed until at least December. Star guard Bradley Beal is dealing with a low back strain and will be reevaluated in three weeks, the team announced today (via Twitter).

After being acquired this summer by the Suns in a blockbuster trade, Beal was forced to miss his first seven games with the club due to low back issues that were previously diagnosed as spasms. He debuted last Wednesday and appeared in three games, but admitted he aggravated the injury in Sunday’s contest vs. Oklahoma City, referring to it his back “a little tight.”

The initial sense was that the tweak wasn’t too bad. Beal was listed as probable to play on Wednesday against Minnesota, and with Devin Booker due back from a calf strain that night, it looked like Phoenix’s three stars – Beal, Booker, and Kevin Durant – would all play together for the first time this fall. However, Beal was downgraded to out in the hours before tip-off and now will require a longer layoff to rehab the injury.

Beal didn’t quite look like his usual self in his first three games as a Sun, averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 28.5 minutes per night with a modest .391/.333/.688 shooting line. Entering this season, he had averaged 22.1 PPG on .460/.372/.823 shooting in 695 career appearances.

Once everyone is available, the Suns are expected to have one of the NBA’s most dangerous offenses, headlined by three players who typically rank among the league’s top scorers. But even assuming Booker and Durant stay healthy for the foreseeable future, it will be at least a few more weeks before Phoenix is at full strength.

Injury Notes: Murray, Beal, AD, Pistons

November 16th, 2023 at 2:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone says Jamal Murray will be traveling with the team during its upcoming road trip, which includes five games from November 17-24.

“I don’t know if on this road trip he’ll play or not, but I know from all the reports I’m getting he’s working really hard to get back and making positive strides every day,” Malone said, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).

A report last week indicated that Murray, who sustained a right hamstring strain on November 4, would likely be sidelined three-to-four weeks. The fact that he’s progressing so quickly is an encouraging sign.

Still, while Murray may have a chance to play on the road trip, that doesn’t necessarily mean he will, observes Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (via Twitter).

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

Bradley Beal missed Wednesday’s game for the Suns after his lower back issue flared up yesterday morning, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Head coach Frank Vogel later confirmed that Beal woke up with back tightness that didn’t dissipate in time to play (Twitter link via Rankin). Vogel was evasive about a return timeline for the three-time All-Star guard, simply saying Phoenix has a plan to get him back in the lineup. Beal has only appeared in three games thus far for the 5-6 Suns, whose next two games are in Utah on Friday and Sunday.
Lakers big man Anthony Davis admits he was battling left hip soreness during Wednesday’s loss to Sacramento, which was the second of a back-to-back, but he refused to use the injury as an excuse for his performance, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I just played bad,” Davis said after tying a season low with nine points on 3-of-9 shooting. “I’m not going to put it on anything. … It was just missed shots. I just played like s— tonight. It’s that simple.” Davis, who missed a game-and-a-half last week with left adductor/hip spasms, said he’ll be ready to go for Friday’s matchup in Portland, McMenamin adds.
Pistons forward Isaiah Livers has yet to make his 2023/24 season debut after suffering a Grade III left ankle sprain prior to training camp. While there’s still no timeline for his return, the 25-year-old was a full practice participant on Thursday afternoon, head coach Monty Williams told reporters, including Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Williams also said there were “no updates” on veteran guard Monte Morris, who is battling a right quad strain, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. “Hopefully we can get him to ramp up soon,” Williams said.

Devin Booker To Return On Wednesday

November 15th, 2023 at 7:14pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 15, 7:14pm: While Booker will return on Wednesday, Beal has been downgraded from probable to out due to his back issue, tweets Rankin. That means the regular season debut of the Suns’ big three will be postponed by at least one more game.

OCTOBER 15, 8:50am: Booker will be available on Wednesday and the Suns’ big three will play together for the first time this season, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

OCTOBER 14: Suns guard Devin Booker is expected to return on Wednesday from the right calf strain that has sidelined him for the past five games, sources tell Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

According to Rankin, Bradley Beal is also expected to be available on Wednesday vs. Minnesota despite tweaking his back in Sunday’s game against Oklahoma City.

Assuming both Booker and Beal are formally cleared to play, it will be the first time that the Suns’ new big three is in action since the regular season began.

With Booker and Beal both on the shelf for much of the season so far, Phoenix has stumbled out of the gate, losing six of its first 10 games despite Kevin Durant‘s usual All-NBA production. Durant has put up 30.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.6 rebounds per game on .498/.429/.851 shooting, while Beal has been limited to three appearances and Booker has played just twice.

Grayson Allen, Josh Okogie, and Keita Bates-Diop have all been frequent starters during the season’s first three weeks, but as long as Phoenix’s big three is available alongside center Jusuf Nurkic, there will only be room for one of them in the starting five as of Wednesday. Allen, who has yet to come off the bench this season, is probably the best bet to hang onto his starting spot.

Eric Gordon, who missed Sunday’s game due to a shoulder injury he sustained on Friday, is also aiming to be back on Wednesday, Rankin adds.

Injury Notes: Vanderbilt, Beal, Magic, Nets

November 13th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt has been cleared by team doctors to begin a return to play progression, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Vanderbilt, 24, has yet to make his 2023/24 regular season debut, missing all 10 of the Lakers’ games due to left heel bursitis. Since he’s been sidelined for several weeks and has been dealing with a foot injury, it might take him some time to ramp up his conditioning.

Still, it’s obviously a positive update for both Vanderbilt and the team. The Lakers’ defense is currently ranked 22nd in the league, and having one of their top defenders nearing a return should help with that figure.

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

Suns guard Bradley Beal missed Phoenix’s first seven games with a lower back injury, which he tweaked during Sunday’s loss to Oklahoma City, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Beal said his back was “a little tight” throughout the game and he needs to be “smart moving forward” after choosing to play the second half despite being less than 100 percent. “We’ve been trending in the right direction,” Beal said. “This is probably the first day we’ve had, I don’t want to say a setback, but where it’s gotten tight throughout the course of a game. It’s just evaluating that seeing how; recovery is always the biggest question. How I feel afterward. See how I feel (Sunday night), in the morning and hopefully I don’t feel like I got hit by a bus and I’ll be good to go come Wednesday.”
Magic guards Gary Harris and Markelle Fultz will be sidelined Tuesday in Brooklyn, but they’re traveling with the team on Orlando’s four-game road trip, according to Dan Savage of OrlandoMagic.com (Twitter link). It will be the fifth straight absence for Harris, who is battling a right groin strain, while Fultz is dealing with left knee soreness.
Nets center Nic Claxton had a strong performance in Sunday’s victory over Washington, notes Dan Martin of The New York Post. Claxton, who had missed the past eight games with a high left ankle sprain, finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in 28 minutes.
Unfortunately, Lonnie Walker aggravated a left knee injury on Sunday, Martin adds, but the Nets guard sounds determined to play through it. “I’ll be ready for the next game,” said Walker. “If my leg’s not broken, I’m gonna keep playing. We’ll see how it goes [Monday]. … It’s a lot of pain. I’ve been playing through it.” Walker is officially questionable for Tuesday’s game with a left knee contusion, while Ben Simmons will miss his fourth straight game with a left hip contusion, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Suns Notes: Beal, Booker, Bates-Diop, Goodwin

November 9th, 2023 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns didn’t consider exceeding Bradley Beal‘s minutes restriction when Wednesday’s game at Chicago went into overtime, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Beal was making his season debut after missing the team’s first seven games with a back injury, so there was no chance he was going to play more than 24 minutes, even with the game in doubt.

“I can be hard-headed and go play 30 minutes when I know I’m not supposed to,” Beal said. “But how will I feel after that? Probably not the greatest. So that’s why I lean on our staff and our doctors to be the voice for me. Because I’ll be hard-headed and go out there and play.”

Beal posted 13 points, four rebounds and four assists in his first regular season contest since being acquired from Washington in an offseason trade. Even on a subpar shooting night that saw him go 3-of-12 from the field, he showed the benefits he can provide for Phoenix’s offense.

“Just somebody else the defense is scared of,” Kevin Durant said. “Somebody who can score at all three levels. Brad going downhill is a problem. So, as much as we can get him going downhill and also just setting him up in iso so he can beat his man will be great for us. Tonight, he just got his feet wet. He’s on a restriction minute-wise, but as he comes off of that he’s going to be more and more confident. We’ve just got to give him the ball more.”

There’s more on the Suns:

Devin Booker worked out before Wednesday’s game, but there’s no indication of when he might play again, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. A report on Wednesday suggested that Booker may be able return from his right calf strain as soon as Friday, but coach Frank Vogel said he’s “making progress, but no firm timetable.”
Keita Bates-Diop‘s overtime heroics showed why Vogel has been trusting him as a starter for the past three games, Rankin adds in a full story. The 27-year-old forward, who was added in free agency this summer, sparked the Suns’ late comeback by drilling a three-pointer with 1:06 left in overtime to cut the Bulls’ lead to one point. He also forced DeMar DeRozan to take a difficult shot on Chicago’s final possession.
Jordan Goodwin wore a mask in Wednesday’s game after suffering a jaw contusion Sunday in Detroit, Rankin tweets.

Bradley Beal To Make Suns Regular Season Debut On Wednesday

November 8th, 2023 at 6:10pm CST by Luke Adams

November 8: Beal will play on Wednesday but he’ll be on a minutes restriction, Vogel told reporters, including Rankin (Twitter video link).

November 7: Suns guard Bradley Beal is getting closer to making his regular season debut for his new team, having gone through a full practice on Tuesday, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

Beal, who appeared in just two preseason games and has missed Phoenix’s first seven regular season contests due to back issues, has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s game in Chicago. Rankin suggests the former Wizard is “on course” to play vs. the Bulls, barring a setback.

“He got some good work in yesterday, he got some live work in today,” head coach Frank Vogel said (Twitter video link via Rankin). “He looks good, we’ve just got to make sure we see how he feels from the work today, see how his body responds to it.”

Vogel added with a smile that it was “awesome” to see Beal go through a full practice after the three-time All-Star was limited in workouts for weeks.

“It’s great to see him doing his thing in a Suns uniform and soon our fans will get a chance to see that as well,” Vogel said.

While Beal is seemingly on the verge of suiting up for the Suns, Devin Booker has already been ruled out for Wednesday’s game due to his right calf strain and his return doesn’t appear imminent. According to Rankin, Vogel said that Booker didn’t take part in practice at all today except for some light shooting at the end of the session.

Injury Notes: Murray, Fox, Gilgeous-Alexander, Fultz, Beal

November 5th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray departed their game against Chicago on Saturday after just 10 minutes. He’s been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain and won’t be available for Denver’s contest against New Orleans on Monday, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets.

We have more injury-related updates:

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox won’t play against Houston on Monday due to an ankle injury, according to James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com (Twitter link). It’ll be the third straight game that Fox has been out of the lineup.
Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss his second straight game on Monday due to a left knee sprain, Brad Rowland tweets.
Magic guard Markelle Fultz, who’s dealing with left knee soreness, is listed as questionable to play on Monday against Dallas, according to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. Fultz has missed the last two games. Gary Harris (strained right groin) has already been ruled out.
Bradley Beal could make his Suns debut as early as Wednesday against Chicago, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. Beal has been sidelined since training camp due to a back ailment.