Suns' Bradley Beal Could Debut vs. Bulls; Upgraded to Questionable with Back Injury

Bradley Beal has been upgraded to questionable and could make his Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

"He looked good and felt good," head coach Frank Vogel told reporters before Sunday's 120-106 win over the Detroit Pistons after Beal went through an extensive workout on Saturday. "So he's getting closer. Still no firm timetable, but definitely getting closer."

While Beal nears a return, Devin Booker has already been ruled out for Wednesday's game as he works through a calf injury.

Booker suffered a sprained left ankle in the opening game against the Golden State Warriors, missed the next three games of the season with the injury, returned for Thursday's loss against the Spurs and missed games over the weekend against the Philadelphia 76ers and Pistons.

"He had soreness in the ankle and soreness in the calf," Vogel told reporters Sunday. "So we held him out (Saturday). He got an MRI (Saturday night) and it revealed a calf strain. So there is an injury there. He's trying to get back as quickly as possible, but he's dealt with a toe first, then an ankle and now a calf strain."

With Beal and Booker both battling through injuries, the Suns have gotten off to a disappointing 3-4 start, with Kevin Durant (29.9 PPG) doing heavy lifting to lead the offense.

"I know how much these dudes love to play," Durant said of his star teammates on Saturday. "They hate just being on the sidelines. We don't want them to rush. We don't want them to feel like it's pressure to come back because we lose a couple of games. We want them to be 100 percent healthy for the rest of the season."

The Suns' acquisition of Beal was one of the biggest moves of the summer, giving Phoenix a starring trio of Durant, Booker and Beal. It's been an offseason of change for the Suns that has seen them part ways with players like Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton while building around a new big three.

There are questions about how three players accustomed to being their team's top scorer will coexist. Who will take on playmaking duties? Who will be willing to cede shots late in games in clutch moments? How long will it take a revamped roster to come together?

The injury bug certainly hasn't helped answer those queries. But Beal's return at least sounds imminent.